Kenya vs Switzerland · Real-time payment systems compared
| Capability | M-Pesa | TWINT |
|---|---|---|
| QR Code Payments | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wallet Support | ✓ | ✓ |
| 24/7 Availability | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cross-Border | ◐ | — |
| ISO 20022 | — | — |
| Request to Pay | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open API | ✓ | ◐ |
| Alias/Proxy | ✓ | ✓ |
Africa's pioneering mobile money platform that revolutionised financial services by enabling P2P transfers, bill payments, merchant payments, savings, and loans via basic SMS or smartphone app — no bank account required. Launched by Safaricom in Kenya in 2007, M-Pesa now serves 60M+ active users across Kenya, Tanzania, DRC, Mozambique, and other African markets. It processes more transactions than many traditional banking systems and has become a textbook case study in financial inclusion, reaching unbanked populations through mobile-first design and agent networks. Note: Data follows Safaricom's fiscal year ending March (e.g. "2025" = April 2024 – March 2025).
Switzerland's dominant mobile payment app for P2P transfers, in-store QR payments, and e-commerce checkout, used by 5M+ Swiss residents (over half the population). Operated by TWINT AG — a joint venture of major Swiss banks (UBS, Credit Suisse/UBS, ZKB, Raiffeisen, PostFinance) and SIX Group — it works through individual bank apps or the standalone TWINT app. Unlike card networks, TWINT settles directly between bank accounts with low merchant fees. It has become Switzerland's answer to mobile payment systems, competing with Apple Pay and Google Pay in the Swiss market.