Belizeans can now enjoy a new level of convenience with the launch of an innovative money transfer service, thanks to a partnership between the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Western Union. Starting this week, Digi Wallet account holders no longer need to visit physical Western Union locations to receive international money transfers. This morning, News Five’s Britney Gordon attended the feature launch to bring us more details on this exciting collaboration.
Since 2022, Digi Wallet has been revolutionizing financial services in Belize, offering universal access to all citizens, especially the unbanked. Now, the app is taking another significant step towards inclusivity by partnering with the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Western Union. This collaboration aims to further enhance accessibility and convenience for Digi Wallet users across the country.
Monique Ford-Vicente, Marketing Manager, Digi Wallet
“So the app traditionally has been a payment service provider. You can pay your bills, you can purchase stuff up, you can pay at merchants. We have over fifteen hundred merchants countrywide and growing. What the Digi Wallet is now venturing into is wallet-adjacent services. Which means we are looking at offering services that provide more access, more convenience. A lot of these things are apps can do, it’s just creating the correct format for them to perform it for the public.”
Digi Wallet users can now receive Western Union funds directly into their digital wallets, eliminating the need to wait in line at physical locations. Akmar Codd, Business Development Manager at the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (B.C.C.I.), shares insights on how this innovative partnership came to fruition.
Akmar Codd, Business Development Manager, B.C.C.I.
“We have been moving money for quite some time, the fastest and easiest way to move money. So we’ve noticed new ways to move money wallets. So we have this wallet in Belize. We have Digi Wallet, And so we saw it fit to partner with them. They reach out to try to move this initiative forward. It’s something that has been introduced within the region. So we in Belize, we are catching up on this. It’s just the way that we think we need to go. It’s accessibility, it has the ease of doing business. It really gives our customers options.”
Starting May fifth, Digi Wallet users can enjoy the convenience of receiving Western Union transfers directly through the app. With just one simple click from the home screen, accessing funds has never been easier. Monique Ford-Vicente, Marketing Manager at Digi Wallet, explains how this new feature works and its benefits for users.
Monique Ford-Vicente
“Once you select the button, you will be presented with the Western Union form whereby you just input the regular requirements to your MTCN, the relationship of the sender to you, the purpose, the amount, and then you press submit within ten minutes maximum twenty minutes, you will receive your Western Union funds in your Digi Wallet account. There is no additional fee up outside of this, so there is no fee when you go to the physical store. There is no fee when you utilize it with the digital wallet account.”
Akmar Codd
“As mentioned Digi Wallet is a member of the Chamber. Of course, we thought about doing it ourselves, but Digi Wallet has already created this part of the wheel. So it was best for us to, as I said, partner with our members. Digi is a well-renowned company in Belize, so we definitely saw it fit to go along with them.”
Monique Vicente Ford
“As for the amounts those are regarding in the same as your Digi Wallet holding at com. So as a subscriber, you have different holding limits. When you initially subscribe, you’re automatically provided with a silver wallet and you can hold up to fifteen hundred in your silver wallet at any one time. You can always upgrade to gold or platinum, which has higher limits for transacting. So if you know that you’re going to be receiving frequent transfers, you can always reach out to us. We will let you know how to upgrade your wallet and it’s usually pretty simple. Provide us with a recent utility bill and a job slip and we can upgrade your wallet.”
Digi Wallet also plans to provide users with the ability to send money internationally from Belize at a later date. Britney Gordon for News Five.