Nairobi, Jan. 13 -- Ride-hailing firm Uber has quietly stopped accepting Visa cards as a payment option for users in Kenya, forcing customers to switch to alternative methods like cash and mobile money.

The company said the decision was driven by rising payment processing costs. Uber confirmed that the change has been in effect since December and applies only to Kenya.

A notice displayed on the Uber app informs users that Visa cards are no longer supported.

"Visa cards are no longer accepted by Uber in Kenya. Please add a different payment method," it reads. Customers can now only pay using cash, gift cards, Mastercard-linked cards, mobile money services such as M-Pesa and Airtel Money, or PayPal.

An Uber spokesperson told the Busines...