Nepal mobile payments company Prabhu Pay extended its service to users of basic handsets on Ncell’s network, a move reportedly designed to aid people making payments remotely during the Covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak.

Prubhu Pay provides an app available across handsets using several of the country’s operators. It allows a wide range of mobile payments and remittance services, however it was previously only compatible with smartphones.

In a post on its Facebook page, the company said the service had been opened up to all handsets running on Axiata’s Ncell brand through an SMS-based platform. Users will be able to conduct basic transactions including bill payment, receiving funds and making remittances. More advanced features will require access to the smartphone app.

Nepal news website myRepublica reported the service had been developed in partnership with Ncell and was intended to allow users of non-smartphones to access banking facilities during the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak.

It was not clarified whether the new service would remain available after the conclusion of lockdown measures in Nepal, expected to be 27 April at the earliest.