Retail Payment Systems
In the OIC Member Countries
49
thus they built their agent network in rural areas first, mainly through grocery stores and
pharmacies. They also provide liquidity management for agents. With the base in mobile
credit and debit, they are well placed to pilot mobile money solutions, but know that the
CBE currently will not allow that move. In the meantime they offer some retail payment
services such as for paying Telecom Egypt land-line bills. Currently they are limited to
cash-in, with funds then used to purchase a service.
3. BEE. BEE is a Singapore-based company that created a joint venture with a local company
to enter the Egyptian market and launched locally in October 2010. Their geographical
focus is on Cairo, Delta, and Alexandria and they operate similarly to Fawry. BEE provides
bill payment for mobile and internet services, and also mobile top-ups. In addition to
Vodafone, they work with Etisalat and Mobinil, and intend to provide e-wallets. 19
Mobile Payment Initiatives
1. Vodafone with the Housing and Development Bank. Vodafone is the primary business
driver in a mobile wallet initiative with the Housing and Development Bank and will
provide technology, develop the agent network, lead marketing, and offer customer
services. The Housing and Development Bank (HDB) will provide the license, confirm
KYC/AML, and audit financial flows. Due to regulatory constraints, they have a P2P
product only, but see bill payment as the product that will have most impact and provide
more revenue. Due to regulatory constraints, they will launch with only 59 HDB branches
and 100 Vodafone branded storefronts as agents. 20
2. BNP Paribas with Mobinil. BNP Paribas views itself as a key decision maker in the mobile
wallet business. The bank will provide the license, vigilance, approval of agents, and
financial audits. Their strategy is to cross-sell payment services to Mobinil customers. BNP
will require all sub-distributors to be clients of the bank. BNP has partnered with Orange
in Senegal, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, Cameroon, Kenya, Madagascar, and Botswana.
3. EBC and Etisalat. EBC delivers a card-based solution to banks through their ATMs and POS
networks and work with Etisalat to deliver a mobile wallet to their bank customers. EBC is
pushing banks to deploy e-payment services, anticipates that NBE and Banque Du Caire
will likely to be the first two banks to pilot mobile financial services. Branches of both
banks and branded Etisalat storefronts will serve as agents, i.e. 745 sites. None of the
participants have prior mobile money expertise.
19 See
20 See and
WriterArticles/NewsContentP/3/86097/Business/Egypts-Mobinil-launches-mobile-payment-service.aspx