Technology

It’s Time to Delete All Other Apps from Your Phone!

Written by Sajeel Syed ·  4 min read >
Think of all the everyday things you do with your smartphone. Let’s make a list: online shopping, ordering food, booking a movie ticket, paying bills, mobile top-up, food discounts, chatting with friends and so much more. At the moment, you must have separate apps for almost all of these things— but from now onwards you can do all of this using a single app: Alfa!

Alfa by Bank Alfalah is Pakistan’s first lifestyle banking app which has successfully digitized offline procedures involved in starting a relationship with a bank, including; modernized conventional banking products and services such as account opening, money transfer, bill payments, savings, investments; while encompassing the ingredients of a modern lifestyle: traveling, enjoying exquisite cuisines, entertainment at theaters, cinemas, staying connected with friends, online shopping and discounts.

Every contemporary Pakistani now seeks convenience, connectivity, and tools which allow them to stay in control. Thus, the launch of lifestyle banking by Bank Alfalah appears right in time with more than one million Alfa downloads and increasing.

Sharing the idea behind Alfa, Head of Digital Banking Group at Bank Alfalah, Mr. Yahya Khan said, “In March 2016, almost 3 years ago, Bank Alfalah envisioned mobile being the future of banking. Anticipating the rapidly changing customer demands and expectations, driven by the technological change, we elevated our core banking values and revamped our mobile banking app into a unique platform transforming of all our key products, services, and offerings making banking simpler, faster, and better for both our regular banking customers as well as for non-banking masses.”

He further said, “In such a short period of time, our customers have made their 3.3 million everyday transactions through Alfa with a daily throughput of more than 345 million. This reflects that Bank Alfalah has taken its mobile banking platform in the right direction that is: not just banking, Alfa is your lifestyle!”

“Alfa is Pakistan’s only App with so many store values like Bank Account, Debit Card, Credit Card, Loyalty Points, Mobile Wallet, and the vision is to continuously add more relevant features.” Added Mr. Waseem Yousuf, Head – Alfa App & Web.

We ourselves tried out the app and made a list of features that actually make Alfa stand out from all other banking apps:

1. Quick Account Opening Process

Previously, account opening used to be a long cumbersome process which involved a physical visit to the branch along with various documents and a dozen time-consuming application forms. But opening an account on Alfa requires only a smartphone and your CNIC. You can just download the Alfa App anytime, fill in a few basic personal details, upload a front and back image of your identity card and you are done!

2. Pakistan’s Premier Digital Savings Account

Opening an account has never been this easy. What Alfa offers is not only an account in which you can transact but save at the same time and what’s more, there is no requirement of minimum deposit to save on your balance earning a profit of 11.25% p.a.

3. Digital Insurance

Life insurance is not just a need, it’s a necessity. With Alfa now you can secure yourself and your loved ones instantly in just a few clicks. Alfa offers the market’s best digital term life coverage under the brand name of Alfa Zindagi where you can get a coverage of Rs 100,000 – Rs 2,000,000 starting as low as Rs 500 and unmatched coverage of Rs 1,000,000 for just Rs 3,000.

4. Goal-Based Saving to Help Over-Spenders Save

Many of us plan on starting saving for a new phone or a bike or a vacation but end up overspending every month. Alfa has amazing products for people dealing with such a dilemma, e.g. using Alfa, you can create a goal to save 1 lac rupees in 10 months. Alfa Goal-based Saving will auto-debit a selected amount from your account in your goal every month on a pre-selected date.

5. There’s an Entire Online AlfaMall for Shopping

Inside Alfa, you can shop online at AlfaMall which offers the best variety of latest products ranging from mobile phones to air-conditioners and from women clothing to home appliances and that also at up to 25% off. So, it is a complete online shopping experience where you can do cashless shopping as well as receive credit by buying from Alfa Mall.

6. Mutual Fund Investments Starting from as low as Rs. 500

This product on Alfa encourages people from variable age brackets and socio-economic backgrounds to make direct investments in mutual funds starting from as low as Rs. 500. Furthermore, you can also manage, redeem and reinvest funds anytime without having to share your financial information with anyone else.

7. Hassle-free Mobile Top-up & Utility Bill Payment

Until a few years back mobile balance meant going to a hawker for load or paying bills meant going to the bank and paying with cash. But with Alfa, loading mobile balance and paying bills is just a matter of few taps on your mobile phone. It even shows all your due bills which can be paid all at once with just one click.

8. Instant Money Transfer

Another basic feature of Alfa being a financial app is money transfer, where you can swiftly send money to any bank account across Pakistan.

9. Order Food

This is for sure a game changer! Now we don’t need a separate app to order food. From ordering to payment and delivery, Alfa offers a completely digital and hassle-free food ordering service with various exciting deals and discounts on all your favorite restaurants in the city.

10. Plan your Travel

Planning your next intercity travel? No need to worry about the hassle of booking your bus ticket. Alfa allows you to book tickets and pay from your phone for all top bus services across the country.

11. Entertainment

Alfa is also your entertainment partner. When bored, you can easily book a movie ticket from Cinepaxusing your phone. Select the movie, book your seat, pay from Alfa and you are all set for a great day out! Or you can enjoy at home by buying facebook and Netflix vouchers.

12. Pay through your QR

Think of the times when you forget your wallet at home — Your phone can be a lifesaver in one of those days if you have Alfa. Alfa enables you to scan and pay at more than 1500 merchants in your city including top restaurants like McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza Hut, Burgerlab and more. So, it not only makes your transactions cashless and convenient but there are also amazing discounts to avail all the time.

13. International Remittances

Now you can open a home remittance account from the comfort of your home in minutes and pull international remittance anytime, anywhere instantly. What’s more, for every dollar that you receive in your home remittance account, you earn Rs. 2 worth of mobile balance.

14. So what’s for the Season

With BakraEid around the corner, Alfa is offering you to book your Qurbani of cow, goat or cow share in just a few clicks while letting the professionals take care of it on your behalf.
You can download the Alfa app here. For the latest updates visit their social media.

The article is produced in collaboration with Bank Alfalah.

Written by Sajeel Syed
I am a writer at TechJuice, overseeing IT, Telecom, Cryptocurrency, and other tech-related features here. When I'm not working, I spend some of my time with good old Xbox 360 and the rest in social activism. Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sajeelshamsi Profile