By Alvyn Ulrish Shad Savrimuthu
Absa Bank (Mauritius) Limited, in proud partnership with Visa a global leader in digital payments, today announced a major milestone for the country’s financial landscape with the launch of Mauritius’ first-ever Multi-Currency Virtual Card, a breakthrough solution designed to change the way customers shop, travel and pay online.
Built for a more connected and digital-first lifestyle, the new virtual card allows customers to instantly create, load and use a card directly through the Absa Mobile Banking App. With support for EUR, GBP, MUR, ZAR and USD, users can pay in the currency they need, reducing unnecessary conversion fees and making international spending simpler and more transparent.
As customers increasingly turn to global e-commerce platforms, digital subscriptions and international travel, the demand for smarter cross-border payment options has grown. This new solution gives customers greater control over their foreign currency spending, without the need for a physical card or a branch visit.
The launch adds to Absa Mauritius’ strong track record of pioneering digital payments innovations. Over the past few years, the bank has introduced several market-first solutions, including Absa Pay, the country’s first Tap-and-Pay tokenised NFC mobile payment solution; QR Scan & Pay within the mobile app; and cardless ATM withdrawals. Together, these advancements reflect the bank’s commitment to delivering fast, secure and convenient digital experiences tailored to modern financial lifestyles.
Speaking at the launch, Jean Noel Samy, Head of Cards and Payments at Absa Bank (Mauritius) Limited, emphasised the importance of the innovation for today’s consumers:
“Banking today must move at the pace of our customers’ lives. Whether they’re shopping online, travelling or managing international subscriptions, they expect payment solutions that are instant, secure and easy to manage. With the Multi-Currency Virtual Card, we’re bringing simplicity, flexibility and digital convenience together in one solution. Customers can create and start using their card within minutes, directly from the Absa Mobile App.”
The virtual card can be funded instantly from a customer’s account and used immediately for online purchases, international payments and subscription services, enabling a seamless, borderless experience.
The launch is supported by Visa, Absa’s global payments partner, whose trusted network powers secure, reliable transactions across millions of merchants worldwide.
Christian Mbonampeka, Country Manager, Indian Ocean Islands and Djibouti at Visa added:
“This launch reflects a shared commitment to making digital payments simpler, safer and more relevant to today’s connected lifestyles. By enabling customers to manage and spend in multiple currencies through a virtual card, Absa Mauritius is addressing a real and growing need, while Visa’s network ensures transactions remain secure and trusted wherever customers choose to pay.”
By introducing the country’s first Multi-Currency Virtual Card, Absa Mauritius reinforces its position as a digitally powered, future-ready bank, committed to delivering innovative solutions that make money management simpler, safer and more accessible for customers participating in today’s global digital economy.
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Speaking to Platform Africa, Jean Noel Samy, Head of Cards and Payments at Absa Bank (Mauritius) Limited, highlighted the innovation behind the newly launched virtual multi-currency card, describing it as a first-of-its-kind solution in the Mauritian market. “Today we are launching our first in market a virtual multi-conveniency card which is a tokenized card”, he explained, emphasising the security advantages of tokenisation. “When we talk about tokenized, the card number itself will never be displayed openly to the public, each time there will be a new set of numbers that will be generated”. He noted that this significantly enhances user protection, adding that with this technology there is “less risk or even I would say 99.9% of risk that can be hacked”. Beyond security, he also pointed to improved control for users, stating that “whatever amount that you will put in one of these currencies, this will be the exposure”, allowing customers to manage exactly how much they spend and limit potential risk during online transactions.
Jean Noel Samy also addressed one of the key challenges faced by Mauritian consumers when transacting internationally, particularly around currency conversion. “Very often people have the headache when doing a transaction with a card linked to Mauritian rupees, they don’t know what will be the end transaction amount that will hit their account because of currency conversion”, he said. The multi-currency card aims to eliminate this uncertainty by simplifying the process: “there will be only one conversion that will happen”, enabling users to transfer funds into a chosen currency in advance. As he explained, “if you want a virtual account in euro this is where only an exchange rate will be applied”, ensuring that when the card is used abroad, “the transaction amount in euro will be the same that will be debited”. This, he concluded, offers customers “the advantage, the peace of mind”, particularly for travel, online shopping, and subscription-based payments.
Absa Bank (Mauritius) Limited (registered number C10068913) is regulated by the Bank of Mauritius and the Financial Services Commission.
