Mobile Wallet: Its All About the Trinity

You’ve heard the term mobile wallet, money money and mobile payments used interchangeably because they often refer to the same thing - ditching cash in favour to mobile phones for financial transactions.

Mobile wallet services are popular all around the world; from simple SMS based systems in Kenya, carrier supported systems in Haiti to advanced handset tied systems like Google Wallet and Apple Pay, cellphone based payment systems are gaining acceptance.

Locally, Conec is the first to market with a mobile wallet service with a range of features including bill payments and person to person payments.

Can these services be trusted?  Conec says yes!




Conec, a service of JUCCL, in partnership with global provider Mozido, combines a range of tools to offer a comprehensive security system.  The tools include:

• a guarantee that money will not be lost if the handset is lost or stolen, because the account information including account value, is stored in the cloud
• encrypted data stored in accordance to internationally accepted standards
• online access to account and funds, no handset required
• a trifecta of user based safeguards - a PIN, a personal password and a secret word to restrict access

Tech4Life airs every Wednesday morning at 8:15 AM on RJR94FM.

Dollars & Cents vs Bits & Bytes

Whether you call it a mobile wallet, mobile payments or mobile money, you are likely referring to the same thing - the ability to replace your bulky, plastic filled purse or wallet with a mobile wallet service.




Services vary from provider to provider, but in general, there are a lot of things you can do with a mobile wallet, like:

Cash In, Cash Out
Rather than walking around with cash, you can put ‘cash in’ your mobile wallet at various locations and have immediate access to your funds on your phone.

Top Up Call Credit
Forget the corner store, buy mobile phone credit and top up immediately without surcharges or the inconveniences of having get up and go.

Person to Person Transfer
Send money across the city or across the country to relatives and friends with a few taps on your phone.

Pay Bills
From utilities to stores to vendors, money in mobile wallets can be transferred on demand to creditors to pay for goods and services.

The irony is, with a mobile wallet, its your money that moves, not you.


Tech4Life airs every Wednesday morning at 8:15 AM on RJR94FM.

Ditch Your Wallet - Mobile Wallets Demystified

Cash (if you’re lucky), credit cards, loyalty cards, ID’s, discount cards and all manner of other plastic populate our purses and wallets.  For men, a wallet can be an annoying bulge; for women an impossible item to stuff in a clutch.

The promise of mobile wallets seek to remedy these issues.  But, is ditching your wallet practical?  Let’s dispel some myths about
mobile wallets.




Myth 1:  Mobile wallets are only for the first world.

While it is true that some options like Apple Pay and Google Wallet don’t work in Jamaica, there are a plethora of other options that are, or will be, available soon.

Myth 2:  You need a smartphone for a mobile wallet.

Again, there are options that rely on a smartphone running Android or iOS, but there are text, carrier and feature phone based options which don’t require a smart phone.

Myth 3:  You still need a credit card or bank account for a mobile wallet.

Nope, some mobile wallet options are for those without any kind of bank account at all.

Myth 4:  There are a limited number of access points for your mobile wallet.

That depends on what you consider ‘limited’ as the network of access points is growing daily.

Myth 5: If you loose your phone, you’ve lost your money.

Now this one is categorically untrue.  Mobile wallets don’t keep your money “in” the handset, so a lost phone doesn’t mean you’ve lost your money, or access to it.  Different providers have varied protocols, but all mobile wallet providers protect your hard earned cash if you device is lost or stolen, as mandated by the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ).

RJR's Tech4Life airs on RJR94FM every Wednesday morning at 8:15 am