M-Pesa 1Tap: Redefining Mobile Payments with a Single Touch

Around 2017, Safaricom Plc created one of its most innovative products, the M-pesa 1 tap. For those who don't remember or have never heard of it, M-pesa 1Tap was to solve the problem of redundancy and the error-prone nature of paying using the Lipa Na M-pesa service. M-pesa 1Tap would shorten the Lipa Na M-pesa process to a simple tap of an NFC-enabled card, wristband, or phone sticker. The user would then get a prompt to input their M-pesa PIN on their phones, and the transaction would be complete in just under a minute.

The technology was very innovative and a real-time saver. As such, payments at supermarkets, restaurants, and gas stations were fast and easy. Several people embraced the technology well and started using it in their small businesses, and it quickly spread like wildfire. Moreover, due to the slick designs of the NFC card, wristband, and phone stickers, the product found favor among most youths. The wristband was my favorite since it was a great conversational starter.

The product sold itself since it raised curiosity among the youths who were now seeing their friends with the product, and once they understood how it worked, they would want it. But as the products' popularity grew in the urban areas of Kenya, it was not doing well in the rural areas. About 96% of the market center shops where I come from didn't have the technology since they lacked an understanding of its convenience.

Sadly, a few years later, the product looks like it disappeared from the market. I lack understanding of why, especially since it would have been very convenient during Covid 19 times. When Covid- hit Kenya, things started to change fast since people had to find new safe ways to interact and transact. Cash transactions were discouraged since the covid virus could be transmittable via contact. As a result, there was an increase in the usage of digital currency.

According to data from Safaricom, between March 2020 and March 2021, there was a 43% increase in the active Lipa na M-PESA agents and a 75% increase in the number of merchant tills. This data speaks volumes of how digital currency is slowly taking over. I have never been a fan of physical cash, especially since it passes through lots of hands or is kept in unhygienic areas. As such, most money transactions I conduct through my phone, be it buying anything in the streets or paying for transport. I remember a few years ago the Public service vehicles (PSV) operators greatly opposed paying via M-pesa but are now moving with the wave of change and are accepting it as a mode of payment.

Now that the PSVs have accepted payments via M-pesa, my worry is the few conductors who ask for the passengers' phones, manually input the till number, and confirm the payment by going through the message. This process violates the safety hygiene measures since the phone now carries all the germs/viruses spread via contact. Such a scenario can be avoided by simply having the M-pesa 1 tap devices where the payment is tap and go, and the payment method displays on the conductors' side.

Conclusion

I believe the reintroduction of M-pesa 1tap would help since it will reduce the spread of the coronavirus and promote cleanliness. Mobile phones are one of the dirtiest possession most of us have. "We touch more surfaces than any generation in history, from ATMs to self-checkout counters," said Dr. Charles Gerba, a professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona. "So, you're picking up germs all the time on your hands and fingers, putting them on your cellphone, and bringing them close to your nose, mouth, or eyes."?