Want to send, or request, money? Add a recipient. Enter an amount. Press send. Boom. It couldn’t be easier. There are numerous P2P apps available in the US and Europe, like Venmo, and here in South Africa, apps like Virgin Money Spot are building a strong following of people who love the sheer ease of use and the social nature of the experience.
“Cash isn’t king anymore.” says Virgin Money’s CEO, Andre Hugo. “Apps like Spot are changing the way we work with money. Use it once or twice, and you become a believer. All you need to make a payment is someone’s phone number – no banking details – and the more friends you have, the better the experience.”
Spot’s latest feature, Group Pay, even allows users to create groups of friends, just like you would in a messaging app. Simply name the group – Ed Sheeran tickets, Christmas party, Weekend braai bonanza – add a photo, and request payment. You can choose to split the amount equally, or allocate different amounts, and you can instantly see who has paid, declined or is still pending.
The most difficult part of using Spot? Taking 2 minutes to set it up. You download the app (super-easy). Verify your phone number and register your personal details (easy). Add your Internet-enabled card from any South African bank, enter a security PIN and do the 3D Secure. Then you’re secure, and ready to roll.
Bonus: for every friend you refer, who registers, you both get R20. Get 15 buddies to sign up, and … you see where this is going. And you’ll never have to have those awkward conversations about who still owes money for the last dinner bill again.
Search for the Virgin Money Spot app in either the Google Play or the Apple Store.
