Barclays Pingit Expands into Africa
Barclays has launched a fee-free mobile payments service internationally. Pingit, an app that lets people link their bank account to their mobile number to send payments, is set to be rolled out internationally, across 13 African countries by the end of this year with expansion into Europe in early 2013. Payments from the UK to Kenya are the first phase of this major international expansion, launching this week.
Pingit limits remain the same: UK customers can send up to £750 per day and customers in Kenya will be able to receive up to £5,000 per day. Payments will be made instantly arriving within minutes, whereas traditional international services charge a fee and can take up to nine days for the money to arrive.
Retail customers will also be able to take advantage of wholesale currency exchange prices by linking the service to the industry leading BARX FX platform shortly after the launch. This will bring what is normally available to corporate clients to the mass market, making market-leading exchange rates accessible to everyone.
In the first six months Pingit has already achieved over one million downloads in the UK.
Antony Jenkins, chief executive officer (CEO) of Barclays retail and business banking, said: “Pingit is quick, convenient, secure and free. It’s revolutionised how people send and receive money in the UK, and now has the potential to transform international payments around the world. Kenya is a key market where Barclays has operated for over 95 years, and we anticipate significant demand for mobile payments across Africa.”