biNu adds EcoCash to its credits payment options

L.S.M Kabweza Avatar
biNu EcoCash Message

biNu EcoCash MessageIn a story title “More problems for regular SMS: biNu credits now available locally” that we posted here a few weeks ago, we expressed our delight that biNu credits were now available locally. The Australian based company (which now has representatives locally) had just announced that its 200,000 Zimbabwean users could now buy its platform’s currency at Easi and YoTime vending points throughout the country. Some 200+ vending points.

But that’s nothing compared to this latest development; now you can buy biNu credits on Econet’s Mobile Money Transfer platform EcoCash. A message sent to my biNu Messenger inbox a number of days ago says the biNu is now an EcoCash merchant allowing the company to accept payments from EcoCash users. See a copy of the message on the right. Econet doesn’t charge for EcoCash transaction of $1 and below.

If you’re wondering why that’s a problem for SMS well, consider the fact that biNu lets you send 50 regular SMS messages for just US $1. The local MNOs charge a ridiculous 9 cents per SMS!

I can’t imagine myself ever paying 9 cents to send an SMS. It’s WhatsApp or biNu from now on!

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8 comments

  1. ngth

    Interesting! Does this mean Ecocash has opened up some kind of API to merchants? If you hear any news on that please let us know.

    1. Zig Ziglar

      There is no API, they are taking the cash as merchants.. not connected to ECocash via an API…

      1. ngth

        If they are receiving the funds was hoping their would be some API that confirmed the receipt as opposed to them having to use a gsm modem to receive smses or something not very robust especially under load.

  2. Zig Ziglar

    Good news… we want cheap things.

  3. Welly Mbedzi

    Very soon the mobile networks will be extinct like Telone public call booths.

    1. Bob_Mirk

      thats not such a wise thing to say. given that biNu does not even have one base station anywhere. And mobile networks will never go extinct (perhaps one might go broke and close down but certainly not all at once). Anyway, in the last case scenario and that happens, then biNu, whatsapp, skype, viber all go down that same drain

      1. Welly Mbedzi

        meant their SMS platform

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