South Africans can now buy prepaid utility services or pay their accounts from approximately 600 bill issuers with the new EasyPay Mobile app using Masterpass, the global digital payment service from MasterCard, according to a press release.

MasterCard announced the new service at its Connecting Tomorrow Forum in Barcelona and said the collaboration marks a significant milestone in its strategy to displace cash and reduce problems in consumer payments.

EasyPay processes 1.3 million monthly account payment transactions for over 40 traffic authorities, 80 municipalities, and 460 bill issuers including insurance and medical service companies. The company has recently aggregated all these billers into a mobile app, enabling consumers to pay their municipal and electricity bills, traffic fines, television licenses, DSTV accounts and a wide range of others. They can also buy prepaid electricity, water and gas.

To use the service, South Africans must download the EasyPay Mobile app, register and enter the unique EasyPay number printed on the bill they want to settle. To pay an account or top-up, users tap the Masterpass checkout button and enter their bank card's ATM PIN to authorize payment. Their account will be updated immediately.

The new app forms part of EasyPay's strategy to offer its customers a wide choice of convenient payment options and improve the overall bill-paying experience, according to a press release. Besides payments, consumers can also save bills, access their payment history, and search for outstanding traffic fines on the app.