Gemalto announces the deployment of its prepaid EMV banking cards to complement Vodacom's m-pesa mobile wallet service in South Africa. The banking cards are certified by major international payment schemes and accepted at any of the EMV-compliant payment terminals and ATMs throughout the country, said Gemalto.
The m-pesa cards link seamlessly to m-pesa accounts, and give users the freedom to make payments for goods and services without the need to carry cash, just like the conventional debit cards. The card is available directly from 8,000 Vodacom agents and enrolment with the company's secure system is a quick and easy process, said the company. Users can check current balances via the mobile wallet app and receive SMS alerts when funds are running low. Gemalto added that because the card is a PIN-protected virtual account, the user's credit remains safe even if the card is lost or stolen.
Herman Singh, Managing Executive of m-commerce at Vodacom.arketing Director for products and pricing, Telstra Global Enterprise and Services
Gemalto offered us the convenience of a fully packaged solution. By expanding our m-pesa mobile wallet offering with the banking card, we've been able to add an entirely new level of functionality which we think is critical to the success of m-pesa in South Africa.
Jim Clarke, Marketing Director for products and pricing, Thierry Mesnard, Senior Vice President for Africa at Gemalto
With this new project, Vodacom becomes the first mobile operator to initiate the large-scale rollout of an EMV banking card that is accepted anywhere. This innovative deployment highlights just how quickly the worlds of banking, retail and mobile communications are changing. Positioned at the very heart of these converging trends and technologies, Gemalto is glad to offer its support to this endeavor aimed at offering greater convenience, security and social inclusion
