The definition of our norm has changed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have changed the way we order food or get groceries as many have opted to use virtual platforms to conveniently get what we want and need from the comfort of our homes.
GrabPay is one of the leading e-wallet platforms in the country, at the forefront of helping everyday folks to go cashless, so when Grab Malaysia asked us to take up their ‘GrabPay Cashless Challenge’, we decided to try it out. The challenge is straightforward, whereby we go cashless for a week, using only GrabPay to make purchases and go about living our cashless life! As a team, we decided to try this challenge together.
Dining in made easy
Going cashless to get meals is extremely easy with GrabFood considering countless options of F&B outlets, offering a wide selection that can soothe the palates of everyone at the office.
Based on the list of available eateries on GrabFood, we can safely say that many restaurants and F&B outlets are definitely on the platform, making it easy for us to dine comfortably in the office. During this pandemic, it is evident that GrabFood is the bridge between consumers and all forms of eateries, large or small. It’s so convenient that even our favourite kopitiams are either listed on GrabFood, or accepting GrabPay when we dine-in
Besides going about with our usual meal orders, we decided to take it up a notch by ordering durian for dessert. Lo and behold, it was very easy to order via GrabMart as there were a few durian vendors available to choose from and it was delivered to us in a jiffy.
Groceries at your doorstep
GrabMart is an on-demand grocery delivery service, which means they can deliver goods to you within 30 minutes without the hassle of a physical grocery run that includes enduring traffic, looking for parking, and queueing at the checkout counter.
Since we are using the challenge for the office, we decided to replenish our pantry supplies by using GrabMart.
We have basic cooking amenities in the office so our supplies included canned sardines, eggs, hotdogs, nuggets, and even chicken (that we can easily grill in the office) alongside the usual coffee, tea, and other snacks. It was smooth sailing from placing our orders and paying via GrabPay, to receiving them from the friendly delivery guys.
Doing good with Grab
The Iskandarian is structured as a social enterprise and is an active participant of the United Nations Global Compact whereby we are committed to sustainable practices and global best practice principles. In line with that, we often work with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to provide aid to vulnerable communities.
Every three months, we donate basic medical supplies to NGOs serving the B40 segment of the community and this time around through the GrabPay Cashless Challenge, we managed to get the medical supplies delivered to the NGOs directly via GrabMart.
With the variety of Pharmacies, it was easy for us to buy first aid kits, lotions, balms, and Panadol supplies to be sent to the NGOs with ease. We also shared the story to the NGOs of how the supplies received are part of the GrabPay Cashless Challenge and how convenient it is to order aid virtually and get it delivered promptly.
Heading out
We journalists are always on the go and keeping the challenge in mind, we decided to use Grab as our mode of transportation to attend media assignments. Grab started off as an e-hailing platform and as much as they have evolved, they still stay true to providing the safest and most convenient option to book a ride.
Heading from one assignment to another was easy with Grab as there is no parking hassle and waiting time for each booking is acceptable with readily available drivers minutes away. Not much of a challenge in terms of coverage and availability for us and it also gave our journalists the opportunity to still work while being ‘chauffeured’.
Secure Payment with GrabPay
Staying true to the challenge, we paid for our rides, office supplies, GrabFood, and GrabMart with GrabPay. Topping up GrabPay Wallet was easy and seamless—the amount was reflected in the e-wallet almost instantly!
With GrabPay, we were able to shop safely and securely. GrabPay’s multi-layered safety and security features ensure its users’ data and e-wallet are safe when performing digital transactions. Users are encouraged to set up a one time password (OTP) and GrabPIN to pay worry-free.
Was it a challenge?
The GrabPay Cashless Challenge was a fun way for us to explore new practices and it definitely reaffirmed our thinking that going cashless is not that difficult with a stable platform such as Grab at our fingertips.
We were able to get up to 1.8% back in savings when we earn GrabRewards for every GrabPay transaction, which we used to redeem discount vouchers from their catalogue or offset future payments.
Adopting a cashless lifestyle is not only easy but also the way forward as we adapt to the new normal of digital living and leverage technology for convenience. Can we replace cash completely? Might be an idealistic question but with the convenience of e-wallets and online platforms, we are undoubtedly at a game-changing phase.
If you remain unconvinced about going cashless, we suggest you take up the challenge and try it out for yourselves!
