Post demonetisation, digital transactions and digital wallets have been the rage. This is not to deny that digital wallets weren’t the norm before, but they were limited to urban areas and metropolitan cities only. Now the whole country is dependent on various digital wallet providers. Ola Money has jumped into the fray too, adding a new feature to its traditional digital wallet services. It has introduced a chatbot connecting it to the Facebook Messenger service, essentially removing the need to install the Ola Money app on a user’s phone to access the digital wallet’s services. Instead, users can simply log in with their Facebook Messenger credentials to their Ola Money accounts and complete transactions.
Besides removing the need for installing an extra app, in this case, Ola Money, the new chatbot also provides easy and secure access to the Ola Money accounts for the user. The chatbot enables a faster access to the wallet, with the bot anticipating the user’s needs and prompting every option right there, with accuracy. It lets the user check his or her’s Ola Money balance, send or add money and also book Ola cabs right there.
How The Ola Money Bot Works
The process is described here in three steps. First, the user has to launch the Messenger app, search Ola Money, and choose ‘Get Started’. (At this point, the bot will ask whether the user will like additional options or to ask if the user is registered with Ola Money).
Second, if the user is registered, it will ask for the user’s registered mobile number, to which a One Time Password (OTP) will be sent. Paste or insert the OTP, and the user is on the way. (We must add here that if the user is not a registered Ola Money user, the bot will ask him to download the ‘Olacabs’ app, not the Ola Money app, which is odd. Downloading the ‘Olacabs’ app will let the user access Ola’s wallet service and will pitch the service to potential customers).
Third, after the OTP is accepted, users can access their digital wallet. There are three options here. They can choose to send money, where the bot will ask for the number to which the money is to be sent. Users can choose to add money to their Ola Money account too. The third option is a prompt with‘Latest Offers’, detailing latest coupons and offers that it has for wallet transactions. Ola has said that it will soon be rolling out some more features to the bot, including ride booking, mobile recharges, bill payments and bank withdrawals. At this moment, cab bookings are not supported. You will find pictures here illustrating these steps.
The Ola Money bot is simple to use and targets a large audience who already use the ‘Olacabs’ app. However, it has to make further refinements if it has to appeal to customers who do not presently use the ‘Olacabs’ app, for it is yet to offer the advantages other digital wallet payment services offer at the moment. Let us know what you think about the Ola Money feature.
