By Paying using EcoCash can be a cumbersome process especially when you go the long way. If there are people waiting in line behind you, they will get angry at you and blame you for holding the line while you are trying to pay for a few items. With some luck, the network will even act up, losing connection when you are about to confirm the payment and be forced to start the process all over again, what a pain. But thanks to Payeasy, a Bulawayo based application development start up, they have found a solution to shorten the process with their mobile application PayEasy.
The easiest way so far has been to simply dial *151*2*2*MerchantCode*Amount# and confirm the payment with your EcoCash pin, but even that sounds like a nightmare. The PayEasy App is already being used by some merchants in Bulawayo and Payeasy’s lead developer Bhekimpilo Ncube talked to TechnoMag about the app that is supposed to change the way people transact on EcoCash.
By Pearson Mbendera
“Currently we are spreading the app to users in a few small retailers here in Bulawayo who have the QR printed on paper with either their merchant or phone number engraved into the app.” Ncube said.
Recently EcoCash launched the ‘Swipe to EcoCash’ to add convenience to the mobile money service and out of this, a lot of EcoCash accounts will be filled with money making this app even more necessary in speeding up the payment process using the mobile money service with the most members in Zimbabwe.
The EcoCash app can offer better convenience but it requires internet connection which not everyone will have hence the need for something that works offline.
Payeasy app
While it seems as if the app requires the merchant to have the app too, they can just print the QR code and use that instead of having the app.
“Anyone can generate their own using any qr generating app (online or offline). Just enter your phone number or merchant code and the app will pick that up via the scanner and ask for the amount and pin number. The generator integrated into the app is for claiming a predetermined amount” he added.
Its not just limited to paying for goods and services to a merchant, one can buy airtime using the app.
“The app has a field which allows one to enter an amount and it builds a qr code with that amount and the merchant code or phone number as per demo video”
Ncube has great plans and having seen how the cash shortage has presented a lot of opportunities for mobile money services, he would love to explore that route one day, but for now, he is just content with adding convenience to services already available.
“This is a starting point. We are yet to expand to mobile banking platforms and while we would want to own the system that keeps people’s money, that idea is a bit too demanding in terms of legal and financial requirements but we would like to go in that direction given the resources.” said Ncube.
Whether they will achieve all their objectives remains to be seen, but for now, they have solved one of the problems associated with transacting with EcoCash and hopefully they can take it far.
Right now, the application works on all android versions but some dual sim phones that do not have auto select sim slots and some latest versions that do not allow dialing from third party application but Payeasy is working hard to make sure that all android users get top use this application as it offers them a lot of convenience.
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