Touch ‘n Go eWallet is collaborating with Singapore’s Dotlines to provide digital solutions for migrants in Malaysia.

A cashless society is now closer than before, and with this collaboration, the migrant community can fully embrace and be part of the cashless society, both parties said in a statement on Monday.

Headquartered in Singapore, Dotlines is a technology-powered consumer and business solution group, working in 10 verticals in more than 21 impact sectors under different brand names. Dotlines has developed many applications that include the Sohoj app, fully developed in the company’s second development center in Malaysia. Launched in 2016, the Sohoj app enables the migrant community to stay connected constantly, transfer top-ups, buy goods and services for self and families back home, and transact securely via its widely spread retail partners.

Over the last 5 years, Sohoj has built a strong physical retail store and agent network comprising of 12,000 touchpoints. Under the collaboration, Touch ‘n Go eWallet will be able to capitalise this network to be closer to these migrant workers and bring them under formal financial inclusion, through assisted account activation, near-to-home top-up, and many more.

Features of the Sohoj app will be made available within Touch ‘n Go eWallet, which serves the purpose of enabling migrants to reload and transfer top-ups to their families back home. With these features, migrants can purchase internet packs or airtime and send them to their family and friends back home. The process is straightforward. Upon selecting the chosen country and preferred internet pack or airtime packages, users will just need to key in the receiver’s phone number and proceed with paying through their Touch ‘n Go eWallet. The services are available for countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

“There is a significant number Touch ‘n Go eWallet users from the migrant community now. With the surge in demand for cashless and contactless payments, we see this as an opportunity to further include them as part of the cashless society in Malaysia. Touch ‘n Go eWallet hope to continue bringing services that provide for our migrant friends’ convenient and cashless way of daily living. Through this collaboration with Dotlines, they can easily transfer top-ups, buy goods and services for themselves and their loved ones back home and ensure a safe transaction with Touch ‘n Go eWallet,

“We will introduce more and more curated services to our migrant friends in the coming months. At the same time, we have also ensured our network of retail and reload merchants for Touch n go eWallet includes those that serve the migrant segment,” said Danny Chua, Chief Commercial Officer of TNG Digital Sdn Bhd.

Undoubtedly, COVID-19 has caused a surge in demand for cashless and contactless payments. As more and more merchants head towards the cashless mode of payment, the merchant migrants’ acquirer programme is a priority for Touch ‘n Go eWallet and Dotlines. More small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) merchants are coming forward (particularly those who are serving the migrants segment) to sign up as a merchant on Touch ‘n Go eWallet.

“Our platform for migrant services, Sohoj, has helped millions of blue-collar Bangladeshi, Nepalese and Indonesian individuals to enjoy a better digital life and stay connected to their families back home. We patiently built a curated network of 12,000 touchpoints across Malaysia to facilitate the life of these migrant workers in an assisted manner. Touch ‘n Go is a strong impact brand in Malaysia, and with this collaboration, we will make the lives of the migrant workers even better,” said Tareq Udden, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of SEA of Dotlines.

Malaysia fintech and e-wallet provider MyMy set for beta testing and reveals Malaysian-inspired product innovations