The use of electronic means of payments in the Philippines has been around for quite a while, and it has even gained the attention of The Economist magazine - click HERE for the article A Bank In Every Pocket?. If you can't see the article, you can sign up for a free 14-day subscription that will allow you access to the article and other archives.In my case, I was fortunate to be able to travel to Chennai, India as a resource speaker to discuss the use of mobile banking technologies for microfinance operations, as part of the International Development Law Organization's (IDLO) series of workshops.
What is common with these electronic modes of payment is the convenience and speed that it can provide to the user. The term branchless banking has been used loosely to describe these payments methods, since it allows an individual to conduct transactions that can normally be performed by an individual with a bank account. Since some of these instruments did not originate from or issued by banks, the term mobile commerce or m-commerce is being used to describe it more appropriately.
For its part, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (the Philippine central bank) has issued Circular No. 649 in 2009, as the primary regulation to govern the issuance of electronic money and the operations of electronic money issuers.
Related Posts:
E-Money in the Philippines: Introduction
What is E-Money?
Types of E-Money
2 comments:
Hopefully, electronic transactions will become more widespread and acceptable not only to the consumers, but to the establishments as well.
Seek No More
Yes, merchant accreditation and acceptance is indeed a key challenge.
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