Colour, a payment super app designed by WiPay, is the company’s first mobile application consumer product. WiPay’s focus in the beginning was simply processing payments via a website and sending out digital invoices to clients anywhere in the world and they would be able to use their credit cards to pay.

Since those days, WiPay has spent years being the much-needed force of change that the region has needed. I’ve gone on record before saying that we no longer have technology problems but people and legal problems that we must deal with to elevate the Caribbean region.

WiPay is a perfect example of this. The technology to build what they have been working on has been out for years, and I’m sure they could have dropped everything we will talk about today years ago, but they have in many ways been the company to work with governments and central banks across the Caribbean region to challenge and change much of the laws (if any) that govern the digital payments space.

Being a pioneer comes with a long teething process, a couple of false starts, and some setbacks, but one thing that I’ve come to learn about the founder of WiPay, Aldwyn Wayne, is he is a consummate student and understands what’s needed to get change to happen.

WiPay is now in multiple countries in the Caribbean, the US, Ghana, and Colombia.

I had the privilege of flying out to Medellin, Colombia, for the launch of WiPay Colombia and as a digital strategist who spends a lot of time teaching e-commerce and setting up payment mechanisms for businesses, this trip opened my eyes and reminded me of a few things.

As a region we are very far behind our Latin American neighbours.

Whilst walking through Communa 13, I stopped to buy churros from a street vendor and as I was about to pull out cash to pay, he asked me, “How do you want to pay?” I was confused, because I am so accustomed to street vendors in Trinidad and Tobago only accepting cash. So I asked him what my options were. He then showed me his card machine and I tapped my debit card to pay him, he texted me the receipt and off I went.

Because we are so far behind in the region, unless you travel, you truly don’t understand how bad it is.

We also need the public to understand that there needs to be a catalyst in the Caribbean to go on a mission to innovate and work with the regulators to catch up and ultimately change laws to allow for these new technologies to work in the Caribbean. That company has been WiPay.

Years of work, innovating and working with the regulators to make the necessary changes have been needed to pave the way for the new Colour app services.

Here are the top five features that are going to be released:

1) Credit card security: Connect your credit card to the Colour app and you can use the Colour card to shop online instead of using your credit card, minimising exposure of your credit card details.

2) Versatile fund loading: Users enjoy unparalleled flexibility when loading funds on to the Colour app from their bank cards, credit cards, or directly from their bank accounts. This versatility ensures a seamless and secure financial experience.

3) Superior payment capabilities: Colour app introduces innovative payment capabilities, including the ability to receive remittances, facilitate seamless transactions, and enhance financial convenience

4) Tap on glass: Transforming payments through your phone, Colour app allows users to receive payments by having someone tap their card on the phone, providing a swift and modern payment experience.

5) Tap to pay: Users can conveniently pay by tapping their phone on a compatible machine, making transactions faster, more accessible, and in line with the latest digital payment trends.

After all the cyber breaches that have happened this year, I was telling Wayne that people have become skittish about using their credit cards and become apprehensive about digital payments. We then had a few meetings about what I think could ease the minds of customers and we came up with the ability to use the Colour Card as a firewall to protect your credit card when shopping online.

I love the fact that you can use your phone to tap on point-of-sale machines to pay. Your business can send digital invoices via WhatsApp through Colour, and your clients can pay you. Businesses don’t need to have their clients download another app to do business with them. That’s exactly the tools we need ahead of Christmas and the Carnival season!

The Colour card and Colour app are subject to regulatory approval based on country, and certain features may be limited based on the country.

Keron Rose is a digital strategist who works with Caribbean businesses to build their digital presence and monetise their platforms. Learn more at KeronRose.com or listen to the Digipreneur FM podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcast.