Digicel rolls out mobile money service in Samoa
Digicel has launched the Digicel Mobile Money service in Samoa. The service enables customers to use their mobile phones as electronic wallets, conduct money transfers, deposit or withdraw cash from their e-wallets, to buy and send top-ups, and to pay utility bills.
The Digicel Mobile Money service has been developed with the support of the Central Bank of Samoa, the United Nations Pacific Financial Inclusion Fund (PFIP) and the GSM Association (GSMA).
Cambodian Network notified Over Mobile Money Service
The National Bank of Cambodia has warned that it will take action after local mobile network; Mobitel launched a mobile banking service without applying for permission from the Central Bank. The Central Bank had issued a ruling in August that it must oversee credit payments – which includes the money transfer services provided by mobile networks.
According to reports, Mobitel’s Cellcard Cash service was launched on September 20 without the filing of an application. The money transfer service is backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Central Bank director general Tal Nay Im declined to comment on what action the central bank was considering, she did not rule out legal action against the mobile network operator. She said she cannot tell anything yet but the company has to do something.
According to Mobitel’s operations manager Kay Lot, the company did not consider mobile-money transfers to be banking.
Orange launches Mobile Money service in Madagascar
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The mobile payment service of Orange has been launched by the company under the brand name Orange Money in Madagascar in early May. Banque Malgache de l’Ocean Indien (BMOI) and post office Paositra Malagasy (PAOMA) are the two partners of the telco in this project.
Mobile customers will be allowed to deposit, withdraw and transfer money, to easily buy call credit, to pay for goods at certain retail partners and to pay bills, through this service. Orange Money has been introduced by the telco to two West African countries in the last few weeks, Senegal and Mali after studying customer needs in each market, with the intention of developing additional, more advanced mobile payment services such as international money transfers.
Local banks with which the telco has signed a partnership deal will be responsible for issuing and guaranteeing the electronic money.
Swisscom-owned Sicap launches mobile money ATM
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: ATM machine for mobile money services has been developed by Swisscom-owned Sicap and ATM manufacturer Wincor Nixdorf wherein users with prepaid mobile money accounts can use the ATM to send and receive money by entering the recipient’s mobile number and the amount of the transaction.
An SMS with a special code will be received by the recipient allowing them to go to the ATM machine to withdraw the cash. The ATMs can also be used for cash top-up and self-service subscription management.
According to J¼rgen Samuel, CEO of mobile solutions firm Sicap, consumers will have to learn how to use the ATM which isn’t quite as straightforward as just sending an SMS directly but the staff can show first-timers how to use the service initially at the ATMs in cellco shops
Vodacom South Africa to launch Mobile Money service
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The mobile money service, M-PESA will be introduced in South Africa by Vodacom and its South African banking partner. The new service will enable 26 million mobile phone subscribers in South Africa who have access to a mobile phone, but do not have or have only limited access to a bank account, to send and receive money via their mobile phones.
Vodafone developed the M-PESA service which has already been deployed by Safaricom in Kenya, Vodacom in Tanzania and Roshan in Afghanistan (branded M-Paisa).
According to Cenk Serdar, Director of Mobile Payments at Vodafone Group, the successful take-up of M-PESA in Kenya has clearly demonstrated the demand for easily accessible, secure payment services particularly in emerging markets and mobile technology in Africa has already improved the lives of millions simply by allowing them to communicate far beyond their immediate surroundings
Nokia launches Mobile Money service in India
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: World’s first money transfer platform through mobiles in India has been announced by the global leader in the mobile handset industry, Nokia, at the Mobile World Congress in platform. Nokia has partnered Yes Bank and Obopay, which runs mobile payments platform and the pilot project has been launched in Pune.
Known as Mobile Money, the service will enable a customer to transfer money to other individuals, pay utility bills as well as recharge pre-paid SIM cards by using their mobile devices. Payment of merchants for goods and services can also be made by the consumers through their mobile devices.
According to D Shivakumar, VP and managing director, Nokia India, the service will create a financial ecosystem which is inclusive, sustainable and scalable besides competing with cash and not with plastic money adding that it will grow the size of e-transfer of money in India.
MTN Rwanda launches mobile money service
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: ‘Mobile Money’ service has been launched by MTN Rwanda in partnership with Commercial Bank of Rwanda (BCR) after an investment of USD2 million. The new service enables customers on the MTN network to carry out financial transactions using their wireless handset through the 120 agents nationwide appointed by the operator.
The service is targeting 100, 000 subscribers in the year 2010. Non subscribers can also use MTN’s service.
According to Khaled Mikkawi, CEO at MTN Rwanda, MTNs network reaches over 90% or the population and it is only right that it leverage this coverage for a common good product that will go a long way in the financial deepening of the Rwandan economy.
NatWest launches mobile money service for its Polish customers (UK)
UK based bank, launches new mobile money service for its Polish customers with Welcome Accounts enablink them to send money home to Poland. The commission-free, international mobile phone payments transfer service allows customers to transfer money from their current accounts in the UK to their PKO BP accounts in Poland. It becomes the first UK bank to launch an international money transfer service via mobile phone. Roy Vella, Group Director of Mobile for NatWest, said the company’s research shows that the UK Polish community sends home GBP 1 billion each year. The service is provided in co-operation with mobile banking company Monilink, a JV between Monitise and VocaLink.
