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The Lion King | 43
The Cashless Traveller
By Adedeji Olowe & Olufunmi Fagbulu
Travelling abroad is fun – and very adventurous. But what do you pack in your bag when the
airport taxi comes tooting at your gate? Probably a stash of cash, enough to last a few days or
weeks for those of us who love to bunch all our vacation days together like overstuffed salami.
Would you remotely consider travelling outside Nigeria without a single forex on you? Most
people think it’s similar to skydiving but without the parachute.
I was very excited to find a guy who was willing to do quite a bit of travel with just his UBA
cards, wits and hopefully a whole lot of luck on his side.
DESTINATION 1 – Dubai
Mr. Traveller landed in Dubai and made his way to
the first ATM because the taxi drivers in Dubai, de-
spite the fancy airport and towering buildings, love
cash like Baba Mulika in Lagos. No swipe. Card
works just fine. He gets in a cab and off he goes.
Traveller’s hotel was paid for at the counter with his
UBA MasterCard. Works fine like clockwork. Off to
bed, late to get up. That’s got nothing to do with
the card though. All major stores accept payment
with cards, even at the corners of the Gold Souk.
But eating out is a different kettle of fish – what ap-
plies at Lagos Mama Put applies here – Cash Rules.
DESTINATION 3 – Atlanta
Getting some books
for that smart cookie
nephew was a breeze.
The swipe of the UBA
Visa DCDC was so fast
he thought there was
a problem but there
wasn’t . This is UBA at
its best - Absolutely
smoking!
DESTINATION 4 – London
Time to make a few hotel bookings ahead
of time. Great bargains on rack rates pop
up on the internet. Obviously, no one has
been able to feed cash via the laptop so
once again, UBA MasterCard to the res-
cue... Crowne Plaza has a new visitor.
Time to get gifts for those pesky friends
back at home and then it hits him suddenly:
he actually doesn’t need or can’t get a
better friend than his UBA MasterCard.
The Traveller made it back to Nigeria just
the way he left with his ‘best friend’ and
not a single Dollar, Pound or Euro note in his
wallet.
Feature
DESTINATION 2 – Manchester
Mobile airtime, hotel and food, irrespective
of amount, were paid with card. Cabbies
however operate on a different scale. Yet
again, Cash rules. But then the nearest cash
is at the nearest ATM. So far, nothing lost!
Ok, time to buy a ticket out of Manchester,
fail whale! UBA MasterCard doesn’t support
MOTO transactions. No, it is not actually a
failure; the system was designed that way.