ABSA’s virtual cards let you pay with just a tap of your phone or wrist!
ABSA Bank Botswana has taken digital payments to another level with the introduction of innovative virtual cards designed to enhance convenience and security for customers while reducing risks associated with physical cards.
These virtual cards are digital versions of ABSA bank’s existing debit or credit cards that live securely on customers’ mobile phone or wearable device.
Available for customers using Android and Huawei NFC-enabled devices, these can be accessed in two ways which are the Absa Pay, available on Absa Mobile Banking App.
With this, customers simply go to “Card Management,” select the card they wish to register, authorize it, and instantly their phone becomes a secure way to pay at any POS terminal. Another way is through the Garmin Pay, available through NFC-enabled Garmin watches where customers open the Garmin app, select their watch, go to Wallet and Garmin Pay before adding card details and proceeding to authorize. Once set up, payments can be made effortlessly with just a tap from the wrist.
“This is an exciting milestone for us to be able to introduce our new digital payment solutions, which bring greater convenience, flexibility, and choice to how our customers make payments every day. With these virtual cards, customers can now make payments simply by tapping their device at any contactless point of sale. Gone are the days when forgetting your wallet turned into an emergency because with these functionalities your mobile device can also carry your card,” said ABSA Bank Botswana head of cards and payments Godiraone Maokanyane, adding that this is a showcase of the power of technology to transform the payment landscape with cutting edge payment solutions, not just in Botswana, but the African continent.
In addition to these new innovations, Absa is also introducing a multi-currency prepaid virtual card which is deemed a true game changer for customers who live, work, and travel across borders.
This virtual card allows customers to load and hold up to five currencies, fund it their way, spend with ease, eliminate card swapping and currency conversion confusion and enjoy seamless global payments all on one virtual card. The currencies which the card is able to hold to date include the South African Rand, Euro, US Dollar, British Pound and Pula.
“These solutions reflect Absa’s continued investment in seamless digital payment solutions and our ambition to simplify our customers’ financial lives while keeping them safe and in control wherever they go. At Absa, we are not just introducing new ways to pay, we are reimagining how money moves securely for our customers in a fast-changing digital world,” said Maokanyane emphasizing that solutions are beneficial to merchants and customers since less cash or physical cash is involved.
