Ghana’s Fintech giant, expressPay, has launched an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) application to increase the reach of its innovative products and services. The introduction of expressPay services via USSD will make expressPay available to over ten million mobile customers who do not use smartphones or may not have access to mobile data. The service will be a tremendous boost to the country’s financial inclusion drive.

expressPay’s USSD code is *246# and will allow any mobile subscriber to enjoy many services– including transfers to any mobile money wallet and bank account, ECG, Ghana Water, DStv / GOtv payments and airtime purchases. In addition, subscribers can pay thousands of merchants by simply using their USSD number on expressPay.

Speaking about the service, expressPay CEO Curtis Vanderpuije said “We are excited to finally launch a USSD code. It will create access for millions of customers who have not experienced the convenience and reliability of expressPay. I am particularly excited by the boost it will have on our broader financial inclusion efforts as it opens up the thousands of merchants and services on expressPay to millions in the country. ”.

He added, “everyone knows how to use USSD, it’s simple, easily accessible and does not require data. Merchants can take advantage of the service – the customer and the merchant do not have to be on the same mobile money network. They can accept payments from any mobile money wallet and have the funds pushed to any bank account or mobile wallet of their choice.”.

Client Engagement Manager of expressPay, Charles Edem Goh remarked that, “expressPay continues to provide simple and secure payment solutions whiles enhancing the convenience to customers. *246# is another step in our drive to achieving a cash-lite society”.

About the Company:
expressPay is a licensed Enhanced Payment Service Provider in Ghana offering seamless consumer and merchant payments. expressPay offers a simple app for everyday transactions including money transfers and a multitude of billers, all with real-time service delivery. Its merchant solutions span across eCommerce checkout solutions as well as smart POSes and QR solutions for the face-to-face segment. expressPay is the leading Visa eCommerce Processor in the country and meets all the international security standards. expressPay is PCI DSS Level 1 and ISO27001 certified.

Woodfields Energy Resources Limited, an indigenous Ghanaian petroleum company, has refuted claims of its indebtedness to the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) to the tune of five million dollars.

According to the company, they have honoured all their payment obligations for processing fees to TOR and is not indebted to the refinery for any processing fee charges.

A statement issued by the company notes that they have engaged the services of TOR over the last three decades, within which period both companies have initiated mutually beneficial ventures, enabling the refinery to increase and improve its facilities.

It further notes that the company has however observed through its stock accounting records, certain shortfalls in the product volumes held in tanks at TOR to the tune of about five million and seven hundred thousand dollars.

The company notified TOR in December 2020 of their desire to suspend any payments until after the material balance reconciliation is done.

However, to demonstrate good faith and in recognition of the reconciliation exercise taking longer than anticipated, Woodfields have made payments in excess of one million dollars to the refinery since the commencement of the exercise in January 2021.