E-Kyash Celebrates First Anniversary with Expo
Today, the Belize Bank’s digital payments and collections app – E-kyash, celebrated its first anniversary with mini expos at the bank’s branches throughout the country. The celebration will take place every Friday for the next couple weeks at the bank’s locations to allow their customer-merchants to display and sell their products. News Five’s Marion Ali visited the booths that were at the Belize Bank Market Square today and spoke with the business owners. Here’s that report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
It’s the first anniversary of Belize Bank’s E-kyash digital wallet, and for today and every Friday that the expos are held, people who use E-kyash to purchase from the businesses that set up at the bank’s locations, are refunded fifty percent of their purchase as one of the promotions that the Belize Bank is offering. All that paying customers need to do is open their E-kyash app and scan the QR code on display by the businesses, using the free WiFi that is provided at the booths. The business owners who were present today shared their reasons why they like the E-kyash method of doing business, and their reasons are wide-ranging.
Monica Gongora
Monica Gongora, Owner, Make Up by Mon
“I really love E-Kyash. It’s really fast, it’s really convenient. You don’t have to take cash around with you. It’s great for my customers; I can just send them a payment link and they can just make their payment right away and I receive it in a matter of seconds.”
Melissa Bol
Melissa Bol, Owner, Smoked Restaurant
“A lotta people don’t walk around with cash, especially right now how a lotta people are being robbed and stuff like that so E-Kyash is very useful, I would say. People go – forget keys, forget wallet, but who forgets their phone, right? Soh, grab yoh phone, once the app deh pahn yoh phone I think da wa really convenient app fi use.”
Star Foreman
Star Foreman, Owner, Papa Churros, Cayo
“As a small business, change is the problem, so no money, no problem. That’s the E-Kyash motto, you know, because yoh nuh have to scramble for change or anything like that. And it’s very easy because you’re not transmitting physical cash, with this whole COVID situation, you know.”
Syomara Torres
Syomara Torres, Owner, Jewelry Galore
“It’s very convenient for my customers. They just scan a payment link and, you know, that’s it. As they send the payment link, I can log in, check my account and it’s there.”
Kay Penner
Kay Penner, Candles by Kay
“I’m currently encouraging all my customers to get E-Kyash because it’s quite convenient and I prefer E-Kyash actually over regular cash. In this new era there are a lot of people who are actually adding it on.”
Sherima Guity
Sherima Guity, Owner, Tacos Don Carlos Restaurant
“E-Kyash, we know that it’s something fast and easy for our customers. They don’t have to – we don’t have to come up with change for the restaurant, so that’s a plus. And at the same time our customers can be at home and say they’ll transfer the payment and we send their food via delivery. All you have to do is scan that code and we receive the funds, immediately it pops up on our phone, so it’s pretty much simple and efficient. No germs. (Smiles).”
People who purchase from any one of the participating businesses today were also entered into a raffle to win a weekend stay at Calico Jacks Resort and Adventure Park. That raffle will be drawn in mid September at the end of the expos. Marion Ali for News Five.
