Why M-Pesa beats bank reroutes
Historical workflow: M-Pesa → bank → batch SWIFT-style nonsense → card.
Modern STK push straight into fintech USD wallets collapses latency.
Weekend gigs and creator payouts often land M-Pesa first — fund cards while momentum is hot.
Five-minute playbook
Install Plu, complete Kenyan KYC (national ID / passport).
Mint virtual Visa.
Fund → M-Pesa → enter KES amount → confirm exchange preview → approve STK PIN.
Card balance updates quickly — attach to merchants.
Spread illustration
Compare implied USD received per KES 10,000 funded across Plu (market-rate positioning), Chipper (~few-point drag), and Equity bank spreads.
Annualised, “tiny” percentages become rent-sized leakage.
Operational tips
Know Safaricom tier limits — large spends may require split pushes.
Screenshot confirmation SMSes for freelance bookkeeping.
Retry politely if STK stalls — telco congestion happens.
FAQ
Airtel Money / T-Kash? Confirm supported integrations inside Plu — Safaricom dominates documented flows today.
Minimum loads? Usually modest USD equivalents — check app banners.