Cashless payment has been here for along time now and we have grown to use and trust this service.
Apart from the mostly used mobile money platform for the local mwananchi the prepaid cards have also grown in terms of market share.
At the moment we have a lot of these cards floating around and tied to specific vendors. This one of the most annoying bit with them due to the fact that you have to carry a million of them, one for the supermarket, bank, Gas station and god knows what.
As time goes by this cards are slowly integrating with each other and one card can work on different platforms
Huduma card
For once will give the G.O.K(Government of Kenya) a thumps up for embracing technology and rolling out systems that the wanjiku back in remote Kenya can use to access government facilities and reduce the long ques on government offices (trust me this was not fun).On there latest move was incorporateing the certificate of good conduct on E-citizen., (we have been waiting for this for so long)
Now introducing the huduma card.The Huduma card is the first government owned multipurpose service and payment card that allows customers to make or receive payments.
The card has a smart chip built into it whereby the cardholder’s personal data can be securely stored and can host multiple applications on the embedded chip.
now since this is a prepaid card funds have to be loaded to it. its not yet clear how this will happen.
According to business daily the chip and PIN cards will be issued by Commercial Bank of Africa, Diamond Trust Bank, Equity Bank and KCB Group for free.
All that is clear is that this project is being handled by Mastercard. just wondering is their no company in Kenya that can handle such a project.
"Mastercard commits to supporting the roll-out of the Huduma Card in Kenya as the technology partner of choice for the local government organisation. The secure payment solution supports Kenya’s Vision 2030 that calls for reforms in public services to enhance accountability, transparency and efficient service delivery, with focus on developing a cashless economy." Mastercard newsroom.
We will be able to pay for an array of Government services such as the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), National Social Security Fund (NSSF) amongst others. Citizens issued with the smart prepaid card will automatically be enrolled in vital government services such as the National Social Security Fund and the National Hospital Insurance Fund, ensuring all Kenyans benefit from these initiatives.
“We are committed to investing in Kenya, and the continent, and are eager to support the country in its widespread roll-out of the Huduma Card in 2017,” said Mastercard division president for sub-Saharan Africa Daniel Monehin.
The flip side.
- How long will this take before implementation?
- how secure is it?(its Mastercard guess we don't have to panic)
- how reliable will it be?
- is it a campaign project?
- is it here to stay or its a trial version?
Anyway am personally looking forward to having one of this and play with it just to check its efficiency and maybe curse it the few times it will nor work