If I could live out my financial life without ever having to visit a bank that would be the most ideal situation for me. This is exactly what Equity bank is working towards with the recent introduction of EazzyBanking suite of products. I’ve recently hopped onto the EazyZy Banking and my experience was quick and easy.
As a dormant account holder, the process involved a one-off visit to the nearest branch to enable my account afresh. I was upcountry and since Equity is to be found just about everywhere, it was very easy to get to a branch. I filled in fresh forms, took a picture and did the biometrics all within two desks and the account was opened in just a few minutes. I then went to the Equitel desk where they mounted for me the Equitel line which I needed to be able to access the app successfully. That was it and by the end of that day, I had my app on the phone. All I had to do was download it from the play store.
If you do not have an account with Equity, you can open a Hapo Hapo account in a matter of seconds within your phone but you’ll need an Equitel line.
On activating my dormant account and getting the Equitel line,I was asked to pick a simple 4 digit PIN which I’ll be using for authentication to access the app from then on.
The app has all the services that have always had us going to queue at the bank, and then some. Once inside EazzyApp, there is an impressive list of services at your fingertips. There’s a plus sign at the bottom right of the app which you’ll click to access services such as sending money, paybill, eazzyPay, cash withdrawal and buying airtime or bundles.
You will be able to buy airtime for either Equitel, Airtel or Safaricom.
Under the EazzyPay menu, there are options to either search for a merchant, scan QR codes or enter the till number of the establishment that you want to pay. There is also a provision to search for the merchant name with in the app.
The send money option is also interesting, with options such as sending a code for cash withdrawal to a Facebook friend, via twitter or to a whatsapp contact. I tried the twitter option and it seems that these are not yet developed to work fully. Otherwise there are other options like transfer money within your Equity bank accounts, other bank account, Airtel money, Mpesa, as well as cash withdrawal. To withdraw money from an ATM, you will need to select Equitel on the ATM screen and move along with the prompts. It helps that the app has an ATM locator and will show you a map to the nearest.
The EazzyBanking app is customizable so that you can chose colours to use, and you can also upload your favourite photo as a profile photo. You can also be able to easily see your account summary, a feature I find really cool. I haven’t used the app for too long so I don’t have much details under this tab but this will change as I move along.
You can also link your stocks portfolio to the app and be able to conduct your stocks business from here! I haven’t used that option yet though. With this app you also have your loans history at your fingertips and you can view any time. There is also an inbuilt currency converter. Talk of banking at your fingertips!
The idea behind EazzyBanking is to remove the physical and time barriers of banking, so that if you feel like waking up to apply for a loan at 4am you’re empowered to do that. With is app, you can even block cheques or your cards with just a few taps of your finger, something I find quite cool for security of money.
Equity is not new to disruption and with the EazzyBanking suite of products and especially with EazzyApp, the bank will fullfill its promise of making banking more of a lifestyle than a chore. Something you do and not necessarily something you go to. I can totally see this fitting seamlessly into my life as a woman who is almost always on the move.