eWallet’s international remittance services rolled out to boost digital payments

Emirates Investment Authority, the UAE's federal sovereign wealth fund, owns a 60 per cent stake in Etisalat, which has operations in 14 countries. Courtesy Etisalat

Digital Financial Services, a joint venture between Etisalat and Noor Bank, rolled out eWallet's international remittance services to 200 countries and territories worldwide, allowing people to send money digitally, free of charge.

The new service was started in partnership with MoneyGram International, a global company specialised in money transfer and payment services.

"We understand that in light of the current global situation, people are increasingly choosing to send money digitally from the comfort and safety of their homes," said Ahmed Al Awadi, chairman of eWallets in a statement.

“As people work to support their family and loved ones across the globe, we aim to enable them to safely and instantly remit money to over 200 countries and territories worldwide."

The service allows eWallet customers to make international money transfers free of charge from their homes to over 350,000 locations consisting of banks, over the counter agents, and international mobile wallet operators in over 200 countries and territories worldwide.

An eWallet customer, depending on the destination, will also have the option to send funds either directly to a recipient’s bank account or to a mobile wallet. It is regulated and licensed by the Central Bank of the UAE.

Once registered, users can instantly top-up their wallet balance and start sending and receiving money between mobile phones, transfer to own or third-party bank accounts, and do merchant payments, bill payments, and mobile recharges, according to Etisalat.

Users can also deposit and withdraw cash from their wallets by visiting the nearest location as guided in their app.