How bKash app becomes part of everyday lifestyle for millions

Infograph: TBS

In today's fast-paced world, everything needs to be as effortless as possible. Yet, when we talk about financial transactions, a cold fear seems to grip most people.

"What if I do something wrong?", "What if my money is lost?", "What if someone steals from my phone?" are some of the very common fears among people. The bKash app is designed with just these concerns in mind – effortless, natural-feeling services while proving the most secure financial tool at the fingertips.

Whether to send money to someone, pay bills, or keep track of spending, the bKash app is always by the customers' side ensuring a smooth experience. Let's explore some bKash app features that are transforming the way Bangladesh thinks about money and makes life easier.

With over 80 million verified registered users, bKash remarkably serves roughly 1.0 percent of the global population. This astonishing reach raises the question: how did a single app become so integral to everyday transactions in Bangladesh?

The unparalleled success of bKash attributed to the precise and thoughtful development of every feature. Its functionality directly addresses the real needs of the Bangladeshi populace, offering a user-friendliness that requires minimal tech expertise. Crucially, bKash has cultivated profound trust through unwavering consistency and reliability, cementing its position as a cornerstone of the nation's digital finance.

Reasons that enabled bKash to become the go-to app for millions of Bangladeshis

Simplicity and swiftness of the app: 

In today's fast-paced world, customers need everything to be as effortless as possible. Keeping that in mind, bKash app's user interface (UI) is kept very simple and easy to navigate. At the same time, different features and sections are automatically customised as per usage habits of each customer, giving them a unique experience of using the app.

Secure transactions: 

It appears that digital financial transactions often evoke anxiety in many individuals. People commonly express concerns such as the possibility of making errors, the risk of losing their money, or fears of theft from their mobile devices. The bKash app was designed with these very concerns in mind so that the customers feel that they are using the services that are highly secure. Furthermore, bKash frequently reminds its customers not to share their PIN and OTP with anyone..

Saving time with convenient services:

Digital transactions require just a few clicks bringing convenience in day-to-day life. For instance, paying bills of different utility services may take several days in the past due to waiting in long queues and different billing locations. Now, it only takes a few minutes to pay all bills from the bKash app from anywhere anytime.

Serving millions of customers everyday: 

Currently, bKash has become a trusted financial services platform with nearly 80 million verified users, serving approximately 1.0 percent of the global population. To serve such a big customer base, bKash has installed state-of-the-art technologies in its system to process millions of transactions without any latency.

Part of lifestyle: 

bKash has become an integral part of daily life for millions of Bangladeshis, playing a crucial role in shaping the country's mobile financial services (MFS) sector. The company's journey began with a mission to bring financially excluded people into the formal financial system, empowering them with greater control and freedom over their financial transactions. As a result, digital transactions have become synonymous with the brand, with users often saying, "bKash me" instead of "send me money" a testament to how deeply bKash has integrated into the lifestyle of its customers.

All financial services in one place: 

bKash started operating with simple services like Send Money, Cash In, Cash Out, Mobile Recharge, etc. Apart from those services, customers can now pay utility bills like electricity, gas, water, buying products from online or offline shops, donating to humanitarian or volunteer organisations, paying fees of educational institutions, e-ticketing, paying government fees, paying instalments of NGO loans, etc. Customers can even avail services like savings and loans of banks and non-bank financial institutions (NBFI) through the bKash app.

Convenience in bill payments: 

One of the key features of the bKash app that brings much of the convenience is Pay Bill. Paying electricity, gas, water, internet, dish connection bills were of great hassle in the past, but now anyone can save that trouble as well as money by paying bills with the bKash app anytime from anywhere. Customers can also activate Auto Pay for certain types of billing, which means, if there is sufficient balance, the bill would be paid automatically on the specific billing date set by customers.

Making digital payments accessible for all: 

There was a time when digital payments could only be made by affluent people having debit or credit cards issued by banks. But now, the majority of the country's population, irrespective of their socio-economic status, can make digital payments at over a million bKash merchant points.

Simplifying business transactions with merchant app: 

From branded shops to neighbourhood groceries, bKash payment is now accepted across the country. Many businesses now prefer digital payments due to simplifying transactions for customers as well as bookkeeping. By scanning the bKash merchant QR, customers can pay within seconds while businesses can easily keep record of their transactions and save valuable time by avoiding counting cash.

Saving with minimal effort: 

DPS of banks and financial institutions has become one of the most attractive features of the bKash app because over 3.5 million DPS were already opened by customers due to the convenience of the service. Customers now can save money without any stress with four banks and a financial institution from the comfort of their home.

Two-way connectivity with banks:

 bKash customers can seamlessly bring money to their bKash account from debit or credit cards issued by banks as well as bank accounts 24/7 through Card to bKash or Bank to bKash services. Besides, they can also transfer money from bKash accounts to accounts of commercial banks in the country, offering unique experience of interoperable transactions.

Hassle-free routine transactions with auto pay: 

Let's have a scenario where you send a sum of money to your loved one every month on a specific date to buy life-saving medicine. That means you can't forget to send that money but due to busy work schedules, we sometimes forget. To avoid such situations, any customer can set Auto Pay for Send Money, mobile recharge, electricity bill payment, etc to simplify life further.

Keeping track of transactions with account statements:

Managing personal finance efficiently is one of the cornerstones towards financial success. However, it is quite hard to keep track of expenses in case of cash-based transactions, but when it comes to digital transactions, for say transactions through bKash, it's a matter of seconds to see where all the money goes. From the account statement section in the bKash app, customers can easily see their expenses to streamline spending habits.