Visa has rolled out a new feature in South Africa that could reshape how consumers link their contactless cards to digital wallets.
The innovative service, dubbed ‘Tap to Add Card,’ allows users to simply tap their mobile devices to add their cards without the hassle of manual entry—a process often fraught with errors and security risks. According to Visa, the feature generates a unique, one-time code, which is then verified through its Chip Authenticate service, ensuring that the process is both fast and secure.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Visa highlighted that eliminating manual entry not only streamlines the setup process but also helps thwart fraud attempts by removing a common vulnerability. The move comes at a time when contactless payments have become increasingly popular, especially in South Africa. The trend, which gained significant momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic, has now firmly taken root, with many consumers appreciating the simplicity and speed of digital wallet transactions.
Lineshree Moodley, the head of Visa South Africa, expressed confidence that the new feature will drive further adoption of digital wallets. He noted that by addressing key security concerns and simplifying the user experience, ‘Tap to Add Card’ could lead to a significant shift away from traditional methods of card entry. This sentiment is shared by industry observers who see the development as a necessary evolution in a market that is already leaning heavily toward contactless solutions.
Beyond improving the experience for individual cardholders, the benefits of this feature are expected to ripple throughout the entire payment ecosystem. Banks may see fewer issues related to provisioning fraud and customer support queries, while digital wallet providers could enjoy higher success rates in token provisioning due to reduced entry errors. Since its initial rollout in September 2023, the feature has already gained global traction, and South Africa now appears poised to join that wave of innovation.
As the landscape of digital payments continues to evolve, Visa’s latest offering underscores the company’s commitment to delivering secure, frictionless, and user-friendly technology. For consumers, this development not only means fewer hurdles when managing their digital finances but also reinforces the broader move toward a more secure, digitally driven economy in South Africa.
