Nepal Telecom Launching Namaste Pay Mobile Money Service / Digital Payment Service / Digital Wallet

Namaste Pay

Nepal Telecom has finally announced the commercial launch of its digital payment service: Namaste Pay. The mobile wallet app will be unveiled at a program in the capital today (September 14, 2021). We can expect some unique features in the latest payment platform. Earlier they had started the initial testing among internal staff. One of the great features of the Digital payment mobile money service is the ability to perform offline transfers, payments that is, without the use of the internet.

Namaste Pay is the mobile money service set up by Nepal Telecom and Rastriya Banijya Bank (RBB) with an authorized capital of Rs. 1 billion. This government-run digital payment app has become the mobile wallet with the largest paid-up capital of Rs. 400 million. 

Namaste Pay: both an online and offline mobile wallet

Namaste Pay is not only the first government-run payment service provider (PSP), but also, the first offline mobile wallet. It means the user need not have an internet connection to make digital payments. 

Up until now, there were only online digital payment platforms for the users to make transactions. It required smartphones and an internet connection. With the use of Namaste Pay, NT users with feature phones can also make offline transactions anytime and anyplace. 

The payment system will use the mobile number as a digital wallet. The ability to use mobile balance funds to pay bills like electricity bills, water bills, etc, will not come now due to the regulations’ restrictions.

So there will be two separate accounts for the mobile number, one for Mobile balance and another for Namaste pay wallet. This feature helps to skip the taxes included in the service charges. Such an option makes mobile money service cheaper and easier. 

For payment, the company also uses the USSD channel which has quite a fast response. Then, by typing the USSD code, the users can make offline transactions. This option is much secure than SMS too. It will also help non-smartphone users and digitally illiterate people to access such payments.

For online users, a mobile wallet app will be available. Rashtriya Banijya Bank will act as a settlement bank for payment services. As per the info, all mobile numbers in Nepal can do the payment from Namastepay using both online and offline means.

Namaste Pay Features

For now, Namaste Pay digital payment platform has limited features, as with all wallets have in the earlier phase. However, Nepal Digital Payment Company is known to add more features with time.

Android app for Mobile wallet 

USSD code (*500#) for Offline payment

Mobile recharge and bill payment

Internet service payment

Electricity bill payment

Water (Khanepani) bill payment

8 banks integrated to load balance in Namaste pay