Declined cards
Cards issued in high-risk markets are routinely refused by global merchants.
Global payments, built for Somalia
Pay the world.
Pay the world.
From home.
Baasto is building a simple way for people in Somalia to pay for approved global digital services. Fund a prepaid USD balance through local channels, and we pay the merchant for you with a virtual card locked to that one merchant.
The problem
The demand is there.
The demand is there.
The channel isn't.
People in Somalia are online and spending, but paying global merchants is still broken. Local cards exist, yet few people use them. So people fall back on workarounds that are slow, risky and unreliable.
Slow, closed service
Local card products are barely marketed, and onboarding and support lag far behind.
Risky workarounds
Relatives abroad, shared accounts and informal resellers fill the gap without protection.
How it works
How it works.
Baasto acts as your buying agent. Your money is collected locally, held in USD and spent only at approved merchants.
Top up locally
Fund your USD balance through supported local channels, such as mobile money or a bank account in your name.
Pick a service
Choose a service from our approved merchant list. We issue a virtual card locked to that merchant.
Track every dollar
See your balance, each card and every purchase in one place. Merchants can still decline a payment under their own rules.
Mobile-first
Built for the phone you already use.
Locked cards
Each card works with only one merchant and has a spend cap.
Prepaid only
No credit and no debt. You spend only what you've loaded.
Real support
Help from a real team, in Somali and English.
Approved merchants
Where you can pay, for now.
The Apple App Store and Google Play Store are our current approved merchants. We hope to grow this list in due time, as we properly build the relationships and infrastructure each new merchant needs.
Apple App Store
Paid apps, games and app subscriptions on iPhone and iPad.
Google Play Store
Paid apps, games and app subscriptions on Android.
Direct purchases only. Baasto can't be used to buy gift cards, top up an account balance or buy in-game currency, including Apple account balance and Google Play balance.
Apple, App Store, Google and Google Play and their logos are trademarks of their respective owners, used with permission. Baasto is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Apple or Google. See our disclaimer.
Products
Start with Baasto.
Baasto is what we're launching. Two more ideas are on the horizon, with no dates and no promises.
Open signup
Baasto
Prepaid USD balance and restricted virtual cards for digital services: subscriptions, games, streaming and apps.
Join the waitlist
Perhaps coming soon
Baasto Plus
An idea for later: Baasto managing recurring subscriptions through its own billing, instead of a prepaid card.
Perhaps coming soon
Baasto Business
An idea for later: access to global business tools for licensed companies, with business-level verification.
Compliance & controls
Compliance is the foundation, not an afterthought.
We are building Baasto compliance-first. These are the controls we plan to operate before serving any customer.
Digital goods onlyPrepaid onlySegregated customer fundsUS-region infrastructure
- Identity verification. ID document and liveness checks for every customer, with the phone number tied to a verified mobile money account.
- Sanctions screening. OFAC SDN, UN Somalia list, PEP and adverse-media screening at onboarding and whenever the lists change, with human review of every hit.
- Transaction monitoring. Behavioural rules that flag shared devices, linked funding sources and spend that doesn't match a customer's profile.
- Restricted spend. Merchant-category locks block physical goods, gift cards, crypto and gambling.
- Auditable by design. A double-entry ledger, daily reconciliation, logged compliance decisions and 5-year record retention.
- Privacy respected. We never sell data, and we share it only with providers that need it or under valid legal process.
Program rules
Money moves in.
Money moves in.
Never out.
Baasto is one-way. Customers fund a Baasto balance and spend it at approved merchants. Baasto does not offer cash withdrawals, transfers between people, payouts or remittance to Somalia or anywhere else. Merchant refunds go back to the Baasto balance. Baasto is not licensed for payout services and will not act in that channel. See what we can't do, won't do and must report.
No access before approval
An account can't fund, hold a card or spend until KYC is fully approved.
Digital goods only
No physical goods, gift cards, stored value, crypto, gambling, money-transfer services, adult content or resellable in-game currency.
One person, one account
Accounts and cards can't be shared. Anyone matching a sanctions list is refused. Politically exposed persons need enhanced review.
Closed accounts
A remaining balance stays recorded as the customer's. For 90 days it can be reinstated to a Baasto account through a formal request. A formal claim process then stays open for at least 3 years, handled under applicable law.
Legal compulsion only
Funds leave the Baasto system other than through merchant spend only when US law requires it, for example a US court order or a state unclaimed-property requirement.
Strictest rule wins
Baasto follows US federal and state law, Somali law, its partners' program rules and internal policy. Where they conflict, the strictest applies.
For partners
Built to be a partner
Built to be a partner
you can underwrite.
We work with card issuers, payment rails, compliance vendors and businesses. Here is what we bring to the table.
Card issuers & program managers
A prepaid, customer-funded program with per-merchant virtual cards, merchant-category allow-lists, spend caps and no credit exposure. Cards are funded only after customer funds have arrived.
Collection & transfer partners
A simple, transparent flow from local USD collection to card funding, with regular reconciliation. We plan to work only with appropriately licensed partners at every step.
Compliance & KYC vendors
We need identity verification, sanctions screening and transaction monitoring, with fuzzy matching for Somali names and transliterations.
Businesses
A business offering is perhaps coming later. If you run a licensed business and want to talk early, reach out.
Get in touch
Start here.
Baasto is in its pre-launch stage. Join the waitlist for early access, or start a conversation with our team.
Forms open your email app for now. Messages go to hello@baasto.com.