Singtel's mobile app Dash welcomes Visa and Apple Pay

Users can use their Visa Virtual accounts and Apple pay for transactions online and in-store worldwide.

Singtel’s mobile payments app Dash inked deals with international mobile payment platforms Visa and Apple Pay in a bid to expand its payment capabilities around the world, an announcement revealed.

Dash users will be able to use their Visa Virtual account on the Dash app at online retailers and merchant points worldwide that accept Visa contactless payments. Likewise, customers can use Dash on Apple Pay which makes it the first non-bank mobile wallet in Singapore on Apple’s payments system, the telco highlighted. Through Apple Pay, customers will also have access to digital content subscriptions on top of online and in-store payments using any near field communication (NFC) enabled smartphones or devices.

“This is a game changer for the mobile wallet scene in Singapore especially with the rising popularity of travel and online shopping amongst Singaporeans,” Singtel head of mobile commerce Gilbert Chuah said in a statement.

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Dash’s Visa Virtual account was introduced in 2017 and enables international payments to need consumers’ changing lifestyle needs.

“Mobile contactless payments have been growing steadily and, today, over 70% of all Visa transactions are contactless payments, made either through a physical card or mobile device,” Visa country manager for Singapore & Brunei Kunal Chatterjee added in a statement.

The Dash app is not exclusive to Singtel users, the announcement highlighted, citing that users can use the mobile payment app regardless of their telco.

To pay using the app, customers sign in on Dash and top-up their Dash Visa accounts. “The cap on mobile wallet expenditures reduces risk of exposing bank accounts or credit limits to fraud, giving customers peace of mind whilst shopping,” Singtel added.

In October, Singtel also debuted its first cross-border mobile payment alliance VIA in Thailand which enables customers to make QR code-based payments with Dash at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) outside Singapore. The telco plans to progressively expand its services to other countries in the region, the statement highlighted.