Nairobi, Feb. 18 -- The use of bank cards to pay for goods and services at formal retail outlets climbed to a fresh high to hit Sh297 billion last year on merchants uptake as the number of point-of-sale (POS) machines rose to 54,454 by the close of December 2025 up from 48,653 as at the end of 2024.

Data from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) shows that the value of card-based payments at POS terminals rose to the new level last year from Sh291.9 billion in 2024.

In a trend that signals a steady shift in how consumers settle everyday purchases, the number of card transactions last year grew 4.1 percent to 61.7 million up from 59.3 million in 2024.

The growth extends a long-running upward trend in card usage, even as mobile money and cash...