EcoCash launches new partnership with ZINARA: now you can use EcoCash at toll gates

Today EcoCash launched a partnership with the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA). The partnership aims to help make tollgate payments easier and more convenient for people by allowing EcoCash users to pay for their tollgate fees using EcoCash. The new system will be available at 17 tollgates across Zimbabwe.

The partnership introduces Prepay e-Tolls that are integrated with the mobile payment system (EcoCash). Within EcoCash, they have introduced a new Tollgate Account that will allow anyone using the app or USSD to pre-plan their tollgate payments and allocate funds to them.  The allocated funds will be used when you are paying for tollgate fees using EcoCash.

To get started:

• Dial *151# and enter pin
• Select make payment
• Select regular payments
• Select Pay Toll Gates
• Select register Vehicle Registration Number (VRN)
• Enter your Vehicle Registration Number and submit

Once you have done that, your vehicle will be successfully linked with your Tollgate account.

To put funds into the Tollgate account for your tollgate payments, follow these steps.

• Dial *151# and enter pin to login
• Select make payment
• Select regular payment
• Select Pay Toll Gates
• Select load tollgate account
• Enter amount you want to add and submit

After following those steps, your EcoCash wallet will be deducted with the amount you specified. The funds will be transferred to the tollgate account so you can always have a separate balance for your tollgate payments.

Now when you’re at a tollgate and want to pay with EcoCash, you simply tell the Cashier that you want to do that and give them your mobile number which has a tollgate account with funds. The tollgate fees will then be automatically deducted from the tollgate account and you will be sent a notification of the transaction.

Last year ZINARA acquired the prepaid tolling system from Univern Enterprises a Zimbabwean-registered firm, which also trades as Southern Region Trading Company (SRTC). The prepaid toll gate card which provides motorists with a card payment alternative at its toll gates will still be functioning in the background as SRTC was recognised at the event.

Another important thing is that the system allows multiple vehicles to be linked to one Ecocash account. This allows people with fleets to easily manage their tollgate fees. It leaves us wondering whether the fleet manager can just give the drivers the mobile number with the tollgate account and they will just supply that number and pay as if it was their vehicle? Also will there be any charges that will be deducted during the transaction. If there are charges, will they be deducted from the tollgate account or from the EcoCash wallet? These are some of the questions we had and here is an update with the answers we got.