M-PAiSA has expanded its international remittance network to include Samoa and the Cook Islands, allowing users in Fiji to send money directly to M-Tala in Samoa and eMoni in the Cook Islands, Vodafone Fiji announced at a launch event on Friday. The move marks the latest phase in the mobile wallet platform’s regional roll-out, which began with transfers to M‑Vatu in Vanuatu.
Vodafone Fiji General Manager Shailendra Prasad said the new corridors will strengthen regional connectivity and improve access to “fast, secure and affordable” cross‑border money transfers across the Pacific. The service operates around the clock, he said, enabling customers to send funds from their phones 24/7 with payments delivered into recipients’ mobile wallets in near real time.
Prasad framed the expansion as a catalyst for broader adoption of digital payments across Pacific markets. “These new corridors are expected to drive greater adoption of digital payments through improved service accessibility, reduced costs and a more secure and efficient service,” he said, noting that the capability supports families who rely on remittances for everyday needs and helps formalise flows that historically moved through cash or informal channels.
Alongside the new remittance corridors, Vodafone’s digital financial services unit has introduced a free in‑app statement feature. M-PAiSA users can now independently download a comprehensive transaction history of up to six months to a verified email address, giving customers a consolidated record of income and expenditure without visiting a physical outlet. Prasad said the statement tool offers “greater control and visibility over their finances” and will be particularly useful when customers apply for hire‑purchase contracts or other forms of credit.
Customers must update the M‑PAiSA application to access the statement feature — Android users need Version 2.9.1 and iOS users Version 2.7.1 — and register a verified email address within the app. Vodafone advised that the remittance corridors are already live and available to users who meet the usual verification and registration requirements on both sending and receiving platforms.
This expansion follows M-PAiSA’s initial international remittance launch to Vanuatu and signals a continued push to knit Pacific Island digital wallets into interoperable payment corridors. By routing remittance flows directly into local mobile wallets such as M‑Tala and eMoni, Vodafone aims to reduce reliance on cash pickups and costly intermediaries while increasing the speed and traceability of transfers across the region.
Leave a comment