Telenor Pakistan and Tameer Microfinance Bank yesterday announced the launch of ‘Easypaisa', described as ‘a uniquely convenient and safe way for the people of Pakistan to carry out financial transactions.' This is the latest chapter in Telenor's strategy to offer financial services in Pakistan, which began in November 2008 with the purchase of a 51% stake in Tameer Microfinance Bank for USD$12.5 million. It will be exciting to track the progress of Easypaisa in the months to come, but even from day one the service sparks conversation as the model looks more like Grameenphone's Billpay service available in Bangladesh and less like other mobile money launches that have made headlines in 2009 from the likes of Zain, MTN and Vodafone. Here are three main ways that Easypaisa differs from others:

While mobile platforms have been used by aid agencies to distribute electronic vouchers redeemable for cash or food, such as the UN World Food Programme’s (WFP) pilot project for Iraqi refugees in Syria, mobile money is still relatively new in this field. Aid agencies are, however, coming to realize the cost effectiveness, speed, and resilience that mobile money payments can provide in emergency situations.