SimbaPay Partners Interswitch to Launch AI-Powered Chatbot that Allows Transfers Via SMS

London-based digital money transfer firm, SimbaPay, has partnered with Nigerian payment processing firm Interswitch to launch a Pan-Africa chatbot service powered by artificial intelligence technology. This service is aimed at making international transfers possible and easier with the use of SMS. The SimbaPay chatbot will also enable 24/7 instant customer service for its customers across Africa and Europe.

SimbaPay launches Pan-Africa remittances chatbot in collaboration with Interswitch https://t.co/a1Qifxq8JJ via @SimbaPay pic.twitter.com/tAF55ahtpF

— SimbaPay (@SimbaPay) March 27, 2018

SimbaPay’s Chief Technical Officer (CTO), Daniel Howard said:

We’re thrilled at the prospect of the chatbot service resolving most customer enquiries instantly at any time of day or night. Another major objective we achieved with the chatbot service is that it also works without internet. This means customers with a mobile phone, even a basic phone without internet access, can access the SimbaPay chatbot using SMS.

What  Would this Partnership Bring?

SimbaPay launches Pan-Africa remittances chatbot in collaboration with Interswitch https://t.co/6KIakfmqNZ pic.twitter.com/jSrekwdMf3

— The Herald (@HeraldNG) March 27, 2018

Now, with Interswitch (an Africa-focused integrated digital payments), SimbaPay’s Business-to-Business (B2B) division offers its instant payment technology to banks & telecommunications who would want to provide their customers with a modern digital remittance service.

Also, with the SimbaPay platform, users can now make transfers with just an SMS. Users only need to provide the recipients’ phone numbers and data regarding the bank account. Mobile money details of the recipients are automatically obtained by the AI chatbot.

Recipients of these money transfers from SimbaPay also get to choose where their money gets delivered to. That is, they can receive payments in their Mobile Money wallet (e.g. M-Pesa, MTN Money, Airtel Money) or their bank accounts.

How Accessible is this Service?

In order to make this available to everyone, the chatbot is accessible by SMS for free. The chatbot, which works without internet, is also available through the firm’s social media channels including Facebook. The chatbot has the capability to address thousands of customer inquiries every hour. Such inquiries include exchange rate queries, how to send money instructions and coverage matters.

Interswitch East Africa (K) CEO, Paul Mwaura Ndichu assures that, “We will continue to collaborate in development of products and services that contribute to expansion of the FinTech space.”

Last year, SimbaPay was nominated as the Best Remittance Service in Africa at the Digital Impact Awards Africa. It was also selected in 2016, as one of 10 companies to join the first ever Barclays Accelerator powered in Africa.