The digitization of many activities and services has left a significant footprint in the area of finance. An example of this is the amount of paperwork, inquiries and transactions that you can carry out from your mobile or computer nearby.
Bringing the convenience of a virtual prepaid card to some of the most massive messaging applications is a task that Zelf has successfully accomplished. A few days after its launch, this service is emerging as a practical solution to manage money through WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger and other similar platforms.
Zelf’s proposal is attractive. Without large paperwork involved and independently of any application since it works through bots in messaging services, you can obtain a prepaid virtual MasterCard card in just over 30 seconds, which you can manage through the same channel and use as means of payment on any online platform that supports it, in addition to physical stores, where you can also use it, through Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay for transactions contactless.
It is that simple. Only in those cases that involve transactions of amounts greater than 150, you will have to provide your identification and proof of address.
To access Zelf, all you have to do is go to its website and go to the section join Zelf. While there, a QR code will appear that you can scan from your mobile or you can choose some of its links to interact with its WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber or Facebook Messenger bots.
Once the chat is opened from any of the aforementioned platforms, just send any greeting message for the platform to display a small form in which your full name and phone number will be requested. After that, you will receive a verification code via SMS to activate and start using your account.
According to what was communicated from the same platform, Zelf will soon add integrations with WeChat, Line and Discord.
Through chat commands or directly through the virtual wallet of your choice, you can check your balance, send money, request money, scan the QR codes of other users of the service to send them money, generate invoices, request transaction reports and much more.
At the security level, all transactions are protected by authorization through a PIN code that is sent via SMS whenever necessary. In addition, limits can be set for transactions as an additional measure.
Outside of these money management tools, as incentives for their current users and those who are potential users, they have a referral program that offers 5 for each accepted invitation and in addition to their free base service, by the way, they have the programs Premium and Pro, which operate through a paid subscription and offer 1% bonuses and 1.5% cash back per purchase. All their plans are exempt from transaction fees or service maintenance fees.
Zelf’s screenings are extensive and interesting. Part of his future plans include the possibility of adding a loan system and opening savings accounts. A little less than a month after the launch of its first cards, on May 31, at the date of publication of this note, Zelf has more than 350 thousand open accounts.
The person in charge of this initiative is Elliot Goykhman, an executive with extensive experience in traditional banking and responsible for the digitization of entities such as Deutsche Bank, Barclays Capital, BNP Paribas and others.
Zelf is available to users over 18 years of age. However, the account verification process can be initiated at the moment only by Spanish or French residents. In their blog, they indicate the opening schedule of their service in other countries.
If you want to know other details about this virtual prepaid card, especially regarding its management mechanism, you can find more information on its website, which is available in Spanish.
