Banque Populaire has introduced a new digital payment card designed to make online shopping safer, as more customers turn to mobile banking and digital payments.
The bank has added two virtual cards to its Pocket Bank app: “LA VIRTUELLE”, a permanent digital card, and “L’INSTANT”, a new free temporary card created for one-off online purchases.
The new L’INSTANT card is designed to reduce the risk of fraud. Customers generate a unique card for each purchase, and it automatically disappears once the transaction is completed. If it is not used, it expires after one hour.
Users can also set a spending limit and give each card a custom name, making it easier to track purchases and control spending.
Banque Populaire says LA VIRTUELLE can be used both online and in physical stores through contactless payment terminals when linked to mobile wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. The bank says it is the first virtual card in Morocco that can be used in stores without a physical card.
The card is intended to replace many of the functions of a traditional bank card. Customers can start using it as soon as they open an account, manage everyday purchases and pay for recurring online subscriptions.
Both cards are available directly through the Pocket Bank app when opening a Banque Populaire account, either in a branch or via the app.
Payment limits can be adjusted for transactions within Morocco, while international spending depends on the customer’s available foreign currency allowance.
“Through our Pocket Bank application, we offer our customers the best of digital payment technology. With LA VIRTUELLE, we are the first in Morocco to offer a dematerialised card that can be used both online and in stores through payment terminals. Today, with the launch of the temporary L’INSTANT card, we are adding an extra layer of security, free of charge, for occasional online purchases,” said Hind Lahrichi, Head of the Individual and Professional Market at Banque Populaire.
