Bank Negara Malaysia plans to increase the number of e-payment transactions to 200 transactions per capita within the next couple of years to steer Malaysia towards becoming a cashless society. Yesterday, AEON Group hopped aboard the bandwagon to support the nation’s cashless society goal by launching the AEON Member Plus Visa Card and AEON Wallet mobile app.
The official launch of both products was attended by Yang Berhormat Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Bin Ismail, Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs; Shinobu Washizawa, Managing Director of AEON ASIA SDN BHD and AEON CO. (M) BHD; Kenji Fujita, Managing Director of AEON Credit (M) Berhad; Masayoshi Masuda, Managing Director of AEON BIG (M) SDN. BHD.; and Ng Kong Boon, Country Manager for Visa Malaysia.
During the launch, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution bin Ismail, Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs said: “With the launch of the AEON Member Plus Visa card and AEON Wallet, the company has shown that all retailers should prioritise innovation for the benefit of consumers. This will lead to a better shopping experience and a higher level of satisfaction among them.
“Cashless transactions are becoming increasingly common, and it is my hope that more retailers would accept this digital transaction policy and that more sellers join this beneficial initiative in the future.”
Both Bank Negara Malaysia and the government are empowering Malaysians to adopt cashless payment options by launching initiatives such as the Interoperable Credit Transfer Framework (ICTF), which simplifies cashless payments. AEON Group aims to assist in this endeavour with the launch of the AEON Member Plus Visa Card and AEON Wallet, while simultaneously dispelling the notion that cashless payments are insecure and not user-friendly.
This sentiment was emphasised by Shinobu Washizawa, Managing Director, AEON ASIA SDN BHD and AEON CO. (M) BHD. who commented: “Technology is rapidly changing the way we do business and makes up a large portion of the customer experience, which is why we believe that it is a great time to launch both products because customers in Malaysia are becoming more receptive towards convenience in everything they do, such as e-payment methods. Going cashless is advantageous to both customers and retailers because it is simply more efficient, convenient, and not forgetting, is in line with the government’s continuous effort to spur the digital economy.”
The AEON Member Plus Visa Card is a 1-for-all card that not only allows AEON loyalty member card customers collect double the points at all AEON Retailer Outlets, but also functions as a Visa prepaid card for cashless payment in-store and online. Supplementing the functionality of the AEON Member Plus Visa Card is the AEON Wallet – the first mobile application system that is launched by a retailer in Malaysia. This app is linked to an AEON Member Plus Visa Card and allows for payment via QR code at all AEON Retailer Outlets.
Kenji Fujita, the Managing Director of AEON Credit (M) Berhad said: “As the first retail company in Malaysia to launch its own mobile wallet, we are excited to be leading the change for retailers in Malaysia and the region to evolve and support cashless payment. We are also glad that we are aligned with the government’s aspirations to help turn Malaysia into a cashless society.”
With integrated Visa functionality, the AEON Member Plus Visa Card is a card that AEON customers can use to make purchases without having to worry about security. It also supports Visa payWave for faster transactions.
“We are proud to be the exclusive partner for the AEON Member Plus Visa Prepaid Card. We have worked closely with AEON to ensure that this card is fully integrated with the capabilities of all the existing member cards. In addition, this is a prepaid card, so it enables Malaysians to make payments at key merchants in Malaysia and globally, where Visa is accepted. It also has Visa contactless capability, so consumers can easily tap and pay for their purchases seamlessly and conveniently. We believe this dual member and prepaid card will enable more Malaysians to use digital payments, and help accelerate our country in becoming more cashless”, said Ng. Kong Boon, Visa Country Manager for Malaysia.
The AEON Member Plus Visa Card and AEON Wallet are now available to all Malaysians. Card owners can top-up funds at any AEON Retailer Outlet’s cashier counters, AEON Credit Service’s ATMs, via internet banking, or the AEON Wallet mobile app. Users of the AEON Member Plus Visa Card will be entitled to double their reward points, as well as receive exclusive member discounts and privileges at AEON, AEON BiG, MaxValu and Wellness outlets. The AEON Wallet Malaysia app is currently available for download on the Apple App Store and Android Play Store.
