Send by Flutterwave launches Naira travel card for diaspora holiday spending

Send App, a cross-border remittance product of Africa’s largest payments startup Flutterwave, has launched a physical Naira card for Nigerians returning home from the diaspora for the festive season. The card, dubbed the Send App Travel Card, was launched in partnership with Odysy, a business expense management company and technology partner, and AfriGO, the Nigerian domestic card scheme.

“For years, we’ve helped Nigerians abroad support life at home through fast, reliable remittances,” Harvey Bahia, Head of Send App Business, Flutterwave, said. “Now, for the first time, we’re giving them a physical way to spend with the same ease and control when they return.”

The launch hopes to address the pain point for Nigerians who return home in December and face significant barriers due to cash limitations, unpredictable exchange rates, and failures of some foreign cards. In 2024 alone, Nigerians living abroad spent at least ₦60 billion during their December homecoming visits, according to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM). 

The travel card allows users to access domestic point-of-sale terminals, ATMs, and contactless payment options within the country. Users can use the updated SendApp platform to fund the card with their US, EU or UK cards, and pre-order the cards to be delivered ahead of their arrival. 

The company says the card is typically available within 24 hours of ordering, and offers same-day delivery for Lagos and Abuja orders placed before 4 pm. The card does not require activation at an ATM and can be locked, frozen or replaced by the user from within the app.

“Nigerians in the diaspora deserve a dependable way to spend locally, and together with AfriGO, we’ve built a product that works effortlessly across the country,” Chinonso Nwosu, CEO of Odysy, said.

The launch comes months after Flutterwave entered a multi-year partnership with Polygon Labs, a blockchain software company, to enable instant, low-cost settlements across the continent.