ZINARA Introduces Pre-paid Card For Use At Tollgates

The Zimbabwe National Road Administration(ZINARA) is introducing a new Pre-paid card that will enable users to transact at toll gates in a quicker and more efficient manner.

How do you get to pay?

Every time a new service is introduced users are always crossing their fingers hoping that their preferred payment platforms are supported. The payment services that are listed include POS (Point-Of-Sale)/Swipe, transfer and EcoCash. We will update this post once we have contacted ZINARA to understand whether OneMoney and Telecash are supported.

Where and how will you use the card?

The Pre-paid Tolling Card is not limited to any specific areas and can be used throughout the country at any tollgate. The card works offline meaning even in the remotest of areas where there is no data connection your card will still be functional.

Drivers will also be able to link the card to more than one vehicle so if you have more than one vehicle you won’t be forced to pick and choose which vehicle gets covered by the card.

In terms of efficiency and quickness, the transactions will take 3-6 seconds which is far less than the time you would normally take to use EcoCash directly. Even swiping would consume more time as you have to swipe and then enter a pin then wait for the transaction to actually process.

You also need to load the card with a minimum of $5 to process transactions. Users can rest easy knowing that ZINARA’s Pre-paid tolling card has no transaction charges so the $2 you would normally pay for light vehicles will remain $2. The card is available at ZINARA provincial offices and at tollgates countrywide.

Users of the card will also have access to financial reports and a vehicle tracking service which can be accessed through the QR Code on the card. Users should not confuse the tracking for a full-featured tracking service which gives location-based updates no matter where you are. It only gives a history based on the tollgates you passed by.

ZINARA also recently proposed to issue a new bond facility aimed at the diaspora in a bid to increase funding for infrastructure projects. Both projects are in their infancy so we will wait and see if they are received well. In relation to the Pre-paid tolling card, it seems to be much more convenient than the system in place now it’s time to wait and see if the card works as advertised and if it is adopted widely.