FINTECH company Norbrook Transaction Services (NTS) is expanding the reach of its ePAY card solution as it looks to onboard educational institutions islandwide.

Following an official launch at Campion College in St Andrew on Tuesday the payment card will be introduced to about four schools in the Corporate Area, with a phased roll-out set for other educational institutions across the island.

“We were already in a few preparatory schools but what we’re really looking to do now is to foster a cashless society across the entire school system in Jamaica. In pushing this card we believe we’re offering a value proposition that will result in schools becoming safer, as they also run a more efficient lunch and meal payment process,” CEO of NTS Havanah Llewellyn and chief operating officer for ePAY Jamaica told the Jamaica Observer on Monday ahead of the launch.

The cards, which can be used to pay for meals and transportation, will see the integration of services for the latter added in an upcoming phase.

“We are rolling out the meal payment option first but what will happen is that the cards will be able to be used for both pockets, as transportation is added later. We’re now launching with the four schools which include: Campion, St Andrew Prep, St Andrew High [School] for Girls, and Sts Peter and Paul Prep. And with these [schools] we will test the card’s features, ensuring that it delivers all the expected benefits before we move to another phase of the roll-out in January when we will add another 20-30 schools. During the next academic year we will further increase those numbers as we look to bring more schools on board,” Llewellyn said to the Business Observer.

“What we want is to be in all schools and for our card to be accepted by every merchant — and that is the ideal goal. We’re now in dialogue with the president of the [Jamaica] Independent Schools’ Association as we also look to administer a cashless system within that environment,” he added.

With the card’s roll-out in schools, lunch and transportation subsidies under the Government’s Programme of Advancement though Health and Education (PATH) programme, the CEO said, can also be added for payment, removing stigma and stereotypes that may previously have been attached to beneficiaries.

With millions in transactions, the card being touted a leader in the digital payments ecosystem is now accepted by scores of merchants. The service is already integrated in other sectors across corporate Jamaica in the areas of retail and hospitality.

Its provider said the cashless solution, in leveraging cellular technology for increased transactions, can be efficiently used in areas with poor Internet connectivity, allowing parents the ability to monitor their children’s transactions and school-related activities in real time through the
ePAY mobile app. The card can be securely funded by cardholders (parents and students) through numerous channels including e-commerce, bank transfers, by using ePAY merchant/agent top-ups, and through bill payment service provider Paymaster.

JMMB Bank, after partnering with Norbrook in 2022 following the discontinuation of a previous deal with Alliance Financial, had said its decision to join with NTS on the ePAY card aligns well with an overall group strategy which seeks to target important segments of the population such as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), corporates, as well as those under and unbanked citizens. The move, it said, was also in keeping with its thrust to provide greater financial inclusion for all Jamaicans.

In its push to further grow the product, a future expansion of services to onboard taxi operators, Llewellyn said, remains among other areas to be unlocked.

“This card is a one-of-a-kind product that will change the face of how payment systems look locally,” a senior director who asked to remain unnamed also said.