MTN Benin, a mobile network operator in Benin, launched a contactless retail payment solution, in partnership with Youtap. The payment platform, called MoMoPay, is available on smartphones equipped with near field communication technology (NFC) and will allow users to pay for their groceries or services just by tapping their cell phones into the payment terminal.

MoMoPay is first being rolled out to supermarkets, pharmacies and forecourt outlets in Cotonou but is to be expanded to the rest of the country. MTN did not specify which supermarkets would first be able to use the service. Company representatives stated that MoMoPay aimed at addressing the problem of petty cash in the Beninese retail sector and contributing to the move to a cashless economy.