On Monday, 22nd of May 2017, Plan9, Pakistan’s pioneer tech incubator and a project of Punjab Information Technology Board, announced its partnership with SimSim, an e-wallet application, to enable cashless transactions for the first time in Pakistan. In collaboration with Plan9, SimSim has recently commenced its operations in Arfa Software Technology Park, Lahore.
SimSim is a mobile-wallet application that has been developed by Finja in association with Finca Bank to make cashless transactions a reality in Pakistan. With a vision to empower a common man and facilitate businesses in Pakistan, SimSim offers loads of value to its users through its cutting edge features.
Plan9’s partnership with SimSim can prove to be a ground breaking initiative for the startup ecosystem of Pakistan.
With SimSim, startups will be able to easily tap into their customers’ buying behavior, know their preferences, needs and desires without having to deploy any expensive CRM software which may open up new horizons of growth for them.
Moreover, it aims to empower entrepreneurs in running their businesses seamlessly by accepting real-time digital payments and watch their businesses grow exponentially.
In addition to business dynamics, SimSim offers a lot more value to its end users packaged in the following features:
- Account Management that enables its users to access their QR code, link ATM card to their wallet, change their login PIN, request account statement and link their FINCA core account to their wallets.
- Send Money through which users can send money to anyone with a SimSim wallet for free, transfer money to anyone’s bank account using IBFT or invite any mobile number onto the SimSim platform by sending PKR 1.
- Scan & Pay that allows its users to get anyone’s SimSim account details by scanning their unique QR code. The users can pay at Finja merchants through their QR codes as well.
- Top Ups which tops up prepaid or post-paid mobile network account within seconds and allows people to send a top up to any mobile number in Pakistan.
- Request Money to send a reminder to anyone on the SimSim network while also requesting the amount. The user with the request will see a notification on his phone and will simply have to confirm the amount to complete the transfer. This is the simplest way to split bills, collect rents & transfer funds.
- Pay Bills through which the app users will be able to instantly pay utility bills from the comfort of their homes and also keep track of all paid bills in the form of a mini statement.
- Gift Voucher that enables active mobile applications users, online movie/television show streamers and passionate console game players to buy prepaid cards from a variety of online services including iTunes, Amazon, Google Ply, Xbox, Netflix, World of Warcraft, Facebook, League of Legends, Nintendo, PlayStation, Skype, Steam, Spotify and Minecraft.
Boarding on to SimSim network is absolutely seamless. From downloading to registration, all it takes is 2-3 minutes. Not only that, but SimSim also simplifies P2P (Peer-to-Peer) payments to a large extent by making users mobile number as their account number for payments.
SimSim envisions to disrupt the online banking industry by doing to online payments what digital photography did to analogue cameras. SimSim is providing all these services free of cost and it begins with a simple click of the download button.
“With a vision to revolutionize and digitize the economy of Pakistan through tech entrepreneurship, we believe going financially digital will not only amplify the impact of entrepreneurship in Pakistan but leap us into the future never imagined before. With SimSim’s revolutionary digitized payment method, Pakistan is now another step closer towards becoming the world’s next tech entrepreneurship capital. I and the entire PITB family are very excited to have SimSim operating in Arfa Software Technology Park and making it the first cashless building of Pakistan.”
– Dr. Umar Saif, Chairman Punjab Information Technology Board.
What is yet to figure out is, if this cashless payment framework will spur the growth of entrepreneurial ecosystem of Pakistan and will it be of any help to the startups as acclaimed? Stay tuned for more news on this front.