3Line Limited: Why we opted out of transaction switching business - ITREALMS

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Following the recent revocation of the operating licenses of 42 microfinance banks (MFBs) in the country, the Central Bank of Nigeria had announced the revocation of licenses of seven payment service providers and one switch service provider due to their inability to meet up with their statutory obligations and conditions of the regulator.

3Line Card Management Limited, Nigeria’s premier financial inclusion fintech firm has disclosed that it opted out of payment transaction switching services because it no longer aligns with its overall business strategy.In a statement signed by the company’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Femi Omogbenigun, the company explained it was not surprised that Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) included 3Line card management Limited among those who licenses were revoked for failure to comply with regulatory obligations and ceasing to carry on with business for which they had been licensed for a continuous period of six months.

The company disclosed that it had informed the regulatory authority that it no longer interested in operating the license. 

“We actually wrote to CBN earlier this year, requesting that we want to put the license on hold as we weren't doing any switching business,” the company noted.

The company had consequently entered into strategic agreement with Interswitch Limited for all its transaction switching business. 

“Interswitch has been as our switching partner for a while and we are happy with the arrangement.”

The company took a decision to focus on its core area of strength, which using technology to deepen financial inclusion. They currently have a card scheme; Freedom card and a super-agent license which are fully functional. 

According to the CEO, 3line is at the final stage of obtaining a PTSP license which will help deepen its super-agent business and other offerings. The strategy has proven laudable as the company has grown exponentially in the last 24months.

The MD in his statement assures its existing business partners that this does not in any way disrupt the services that are being offered.

As said by the FGN Gazette No196 Vol 16, seven (7) payment service providers and a switching company were affected for failure to comply with regulatory obligations and ceasing to carry on with business for which they had been licensed for a continuous period of six months.

The affected payment service providers, whose licenses were revoked are; Easifuel Limited, Transaction Processing System (TPS), Grand Towers Limited, Paymaster Limited, E-Revenue Gateway Limited, Eartholeum Network Limited and Globasure Limited.

The payment service provider, whose switching license was revoked was 3Line Card Management Limited.