Abay Bank is entering into a partnership with AirfPay, a fin-tech company that provides digital solutions, to launch a mobile POS (m-POS) service in the coming weeks.

ArifPay is part of an emerging industry spurred by a directive the central bank issued last year allowing non-financial institutions to operate as payment instrument issuers, including the supply of m-POS card reader devices. An m-POS is a smartphone or tablet that can perform a cash register or a traditional POS machine wirelessly. It enables account holders to use an ATM card from any bank.

The Bank will begin distributing the devices to its merchant customers in the coming month, according to Eriste Woldemaryam, director of digital banking at Abay.

"We plan to introduce more alternatives for electronic payment," Eriste told Fortune.

A bank with a paid-up capital of 1.7 billion Br, Abay is also teaming up with Engida Travel Solutions to launch applications to book cross-country luxury bus tickets and flight tickets and hotels.

Engida Travel Solutions was established in 2020 with 3.5 million Br in initial capital. It has developed the Liyu bus ticketing application, working with eight transport services, including those who make cross-border trips to Khartoum. Engida is also developing applications for flight and hotel booking services.

The bus ticketing solution has already received certification from the Ministry of Innovation & Technology, according to Seyoum Mengesha, head of the Private Sector Industry Technology Support Directorate at the Ministry.

The Ministry issues competency certificates to ICT-related companies operating in manufacturing, computer equipment sales, software engineering, networking, and consultancy services.

The bus ticketing application will be launched this coming week, according to Eriste.

The hotel booking application incorporates domestic and foreign hotels on a pay-on-arrival basis. The application will feature more than 150 hotels in the country and works with Expedia in incorporating hotels abroad.