Pan-African operator MTN announced a deal with Verifone Mobile Money to deliver retail payment devices to merchants across 16 markets.

The move will enable customers to pay for goods and services using mobile phones and MTN Mobile Money wallet, with merchants using payment terminal solutions from Verifone.

Chris Jones, CEO of Verifone Mobile Money, said that the partnership will “provide merchants with the technology needed to accept mobile payments from MTN’s growing mobile money customer base” – which numbers 22 million.

Serigne Dioum, head of mobile financial services at MTN, said the partnership “will also allow contactless payment in the near future”.

“We have created a customer experience where the mobile phone remains truly central to retail payment, thus ensuring continuity with our mobile financial services. This partnership will also allow contactless payment in the near future,” the executive said.

MTN has been bolstering the services available to its mobile money customers, for example announcing a partnership earlier this year with WorldRemit to enable funds to MTN customers across multiple markets.