The service has been changing the way payments are facilitated in Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines, and the bank said it plans to roll out the platform to additional markets this year.

 

The adoption of Straight2Bank Wallet has enabled Jhpiego to reach beneficiaries including those who were previously deprived of access to basic financial services, due to infrastructure and economic challenges.

 

“The use of mobile wallet services such as Straight2Bank Wallet underscores our commitment to reaching out to Jhpiego beneficiaries in as safe and efficient a fashion as possible. The rapid delivery of resources to our vendors and beneficiaries enables us to rapidly respond to the changing needs of women and families worldwide,” says Ronald Geary, vice president and chief financial officer at Jhpiego.

 

First introduced in Kenya in 2013, Straight2Bank Wallet is a mobile wallet service that enables corporations, governments and development organizations to make cashless payments to both banked and unbanked individuals.

 

Standard Chartered has since expanded the platform’s coverage to corporate clients in other markets in Africa and Asia. The bank recently collaborated with Airtel Money in Zambia, Tigo and Vodacom in Tanzania, and bKash in Bangladesh to launch the service in these markets.

 

“Conversations around the use of mobile wallet services in emerging markets continue to grow as companies, NGOs and development organizations increasingly see the value in using technology to electronically disburse and collect cash,” says Dan Scanlan, regional transaction banking head for the Americas, Standard Chartered. “Technology has made it easier to process transactions and drive financial inclusion while making a difference in the communities that we operate in.”