72
ISSN: 2224-6274, RNPS: 0514, Vol. 21, No. 1, january - july, 2025.
Transfermóvil, 10 Years With Us
MSc. Julio Antonio García Trápaga
1
CHRONOLOGY
1 Director of Support and Development of Digital Products, ETECSA. julio.
trapaga@etecsa.cu
Received: 06/2023 | Accepted: 04/2024 | Published: 9/2024
Abstract
Transfermóvil is a project developed by ETECSA in 2015. Since
then, it has become the primary digital payment platform in Cuba,
with over 5.6 million users at the end of July 2025. During Covid-19,
its usage grew signicantly as it facilitated service payments and
product purchases at a time when queues and crowds were being
avoided due to health risks. For this reason, in addition to oering ease
with e-payments, it contributed to preserving the lives of millions of
people in Cuba.
Throughout these 10 years, it has always been available to users
with stable and secure access 24/7. Its simple operation allows people
who are not experienced with new technologies, including the elderly,
to quickly become familiar with the application.
For companies and businesses, it facilitates e-payments for utilities,
such as electricity and telephone services. It will also allow integration
with any platform oering products or services that require a payment
method.
Its recent innovations include the MiTransfer Wallet (2022)
and the Online Payment Service (2019), as well as payments for
telecommunications and utility services in general. This paper will
review the past 10 years, which have been full of challenges, changes,
and updates for the project, requiring innite perseverance, creativity,
and teamwork.
pp. 72 - 91
73
ISSN: 2224-6274, RNPS: 0514, Vol. 21, No. 1, january - july, 2025.
Keywords: Transfermóvil, online payment, MiTransfer wallet,
mobile, e-payment
Introduction
At the end of the 20th century, cellular telephony emerged
and experienced an exponential technological advance that
transformed the global paradigms of communication, trade and
other key aspects of society. In the contemporary world, mobile
devices—including tablets and portable computers—have become
an indispensable tool deeply integrated into both personal and
professional spheres. Meanwhile, the Internet evolved from a
rudimentary information network into a critical infrastructure that
underpin modern socioeconomic interactions. This technological
convergence paved the way for the emergence of digital payment
systems in the early years of the 21st century, transitioning them from
conceptual frameworks to widespread adoption. By the rst decade
of the new millennium, electronic transactions had replaced cash-
based exchanges in many economic sectors, marking a signicant
shift towards nancial digitization. Pioneering platforms such as
PayPal, eBay, and Mercado Libre established key architectures for
secure cashless transactions, thereby catalyzing the proliferation of
e-commerce and innovations related to it. Now, these developments
is combined with the use of crypto assets, which have revolutionized
the nancial world. This has also changed the way we understand
money and the separation of these nancial operations from the
banking system.
Advancements in information and communication technologies
(ICT) have given rise to new payment systems for nancial transactions
between businesses and their customers. Specically, these systems
emerged as solutions to problems associated with handling physical
currency (Tamayo, 1999):
The need to reduce the cost of money and existing payment
methods.
Provide exibility for small purchases and instant payments.
Increase security and protection against fraud.
The very rise of e-commerce and online payments on the Internet.
Transfermóvil, 10 Years With Us
MSc. Julio Antonio García Trápaga
pp. 72 - 91
74
ISSN: 2224-6274, RNPS: 0514, Vol. 21, No. 1, january - july, 2025.
As an integral part of the digital transformation of the Cuban
society, the progressive expansion of Internet access let to the growth
of e-commerce across the country, both at the state and private
sectors, through digital platforms and social media. In its early
stages, this edgling digital ecosystem lacked the infrastructure to
process online payments, limiting transactions to the physical cash
exchanges. This scenario experienced signicant progress in 2015
with the launch of Transfermóvil, the rst fully Cuban-developed
digital payment platform, which marked a turning point in the
nations nancial modernization.
In the rst half of 2020, the gure of 950,000 active users was
exceeded, and of these, 45% had joined in that same year, showing the
importance that this platform was acquiring in Cuba. In this period, an
average of 70 million operations were carried out, which represented
a growth of more than 50% compared to the same period in 2019,
and close to twenty services were implemented. All these indicators
grew geometrically in the following years: services tripled to more
than seventy; operations multiplied by ten, exceeding 700 million in
the rst half of 2025; and the number of users reached 5.6 million.
Every day of this rst decade represented a challenge of
development, innovation, and persistent will to move forward in order
to oer Cuban society a nancial digital transformation.
Making a quick review of Transfermóvil’s project evolution timeline,
it is worth mentioning some moments of particular relevance:
May 2007 The rst proposal for electronic payments emerged,
using the Propia card as a debit card to pay the telephone bill,
but it could not be achieved.
July 21st, 2014 The conception and implementation of
Transfermóvil began, linking it to the rise of mobile telephony in
Cuba. The initial architecture of this platform was designed, but
with a long-term strategy. (Virtualization, Webservices, short-
code usage, layer and modular architecture).
Transfermóvil, 10 Years With Us
MSc. Julio Antonio García Trápaga
pp. 72 - 91
75
ISSN: 2224-6274, RNPS: 0514, Vol. 21, No. 1, january - july, 2025.
February 10th, 2015 The Transfermóvil Pilot Test begins
(Telephone Bill Payment, through Telecommunications Agents
at the Príncipe Telephone Exchange Center with approximately
50 TA).
March 18th, 2015 Meeting with Banco Popular de Ahorro
(BPA, for its acronym in Spanish) in which the development of
the mobile banking module within the Transfermóvil project was
agreed to begin as of September 2015.
November 30th, 2015 The capability to make payments
and transfers using Transfermóvil with BPA cards was put into
practice. Integration with an accounting system.
February 23rd, 2016 The Pilot Test for Mobile Top-Ups and
Nauta Voucher Top-Ups begins through Telecommunications
Agents at the Águila Telephone Exchange Center with
approximately 45 TA. Launching of the rst both APKs:
Transfermóvil 1.160224 and ETECSA.
March 24th, 2017 The capability to make payments and
transfers through Transfermóvil using the BANDEC cards was
put into practice.
March 31st, 2017 The capability to make payments and
transfers through Transfermóvil using the BANMET cards was
put into practice.
March 2018 – Within the framework of the International Fair
Informática 2018, a new version of Transfermóvil (1.180230)
was released, capable of being updated via mobile data and
integrating a dozen new services.
November 2018 Within the framework of the Havana
International Fair, the top-up service for mobile phone lines via
bank cards (BPA, BANDEC, BANMET) was implemented.
August 2019 – A dozen new services were launched (Nauta top-
up, microtop-ups, sending remittances, among others).
October 8th, 2019 The rst real digital payment using a QR
code was carried out at the market located in the Sierra Maestra
building.
Transfermóvil, 10 Years With Us
MSc. Julio Antonio García Trápaga
pp. 72 - 91
76
ISSN: 2224-6274, RNPS: 0514, Vol. 21, No. 1, january - july, 2025.
February 2020 The possibility of purchasing products by
paying through Transfermóvil was extended throughout Cuba
by means of Tuenvio, a virtual store chain under the charge of
the CIMEX corporation.
March 2020 – A new Transfermóvil version was released, which
included the ability to top up Propia cards. The new functionality
Mis Cuentas was introduced.
August 2020 A new version was launched with the following
options: payment of the Nauta Hogar fee, improvements to
electricity bill payment, and payment of taxes to the National
Tax Administration Oce of Cuba (hereinafter, ONAT, for its
acronym in Spanish).
September 3rd, 2020 Transfermóvil reached one million users.
January 12th, 2021 The MiTransfer Boulevard was launched
at Coppelia ice cream parlor in Havana. (ETECSA-GET).
March 2021 Transfermóvil received the CITMA award, along
with nine other works completed in 2020 with the greatest social
and scientic impact.
April 26th, 2021 Transfermóvil reached two million users (just
in seven and a half months).
May 2021 – Transfermóvil received the ANIR National Award.
June 2021 A new Transfermóvil version was released including
the possibility to pay trac nes and infringements.
December 27th, 2021 A new Transfermóvil version was
released with the following services: purchase of digital fuel
vouchers, postage stamp, Caja Extra, and an update to the ONAT
paragraphs.
January 29th, 2022 The MiTransfer Boulevard surpassed
12,000 businesses.
February 17th, 2022 Transfermóvil reached the third million
users (just in 10 months).
February 27th, 2022 Transfermóvil received a Special Award
from CITMA due to its economic impact.
March 2022 A new Transfermóvil version was released,
improving its accessibility for visually impaired individuals.
Transfermóvil, 10 Years With Us
MSc. Julio Antonio García Trápaga
pp. 72 - 91
77
ISSN: 2224-6274, RNPS: 0514, Vol. 21, No. 1, january - july, 2025.
March 2022 In collaboration with the international company
Óptima, the capability for its points of sale to sell through
Transfermóvil was implemented.
March 2022 Transfermóvil received the Grand Jury Prize at
the International Fair Informática 2022.
August 19th, 2022 – La Bolsa MiTransfer was launched.
December 27th, 2022 The payment of document tax (stamp
duty) is implemented.
February 28th, 2023 The Cuban mobile wallet was launched,
and Transfermóvil reached 4 million users.
April 26th, 2023 Transfermóvil received the Excellence Award
in the Popular Vote category.
May 17th, 2023 Transfermóvil obtained a prestigious special
international mention, REMTECH 2023, which was withdrawn
days later due to blockade-related issues.
October 2023 A new Transfermóvil release was launched with
several services aimed at telecommunications agents.
December 2023 This was the most productive year in
Transfermóvil’s history up to that point, with seven APK releases,
over fteen new services and improvements, and nearly one
billion transactions. The implementation of the document tax
payment solution is beginning to be widespread.
January 2024 Through the payment option to those users
selling their Parranda beer bottles, the Cuban Brewery collected
more than 1 million bottles.
February 2024
More than 4 million digital stamps for procedures
were exceeded, facilitated by the Transfermóvil solution.
March 2024 The MiTransfer mobile wallet received a special
award at the International Fair Informática 2024.
April 2024 The new product MITPV was launched: a 100%
Cuban point-of-sale solution.
April 2024 Transfermóvil received recognition from the
Ministry of Finance and Prices for its contribution to tax
payments.
Transfermóvil, 10 Years With Us
MSc. Julio Antonio García Trápaga
pp. 72 - 91
78
ISSN: 2224-6274, RNPS: 0514, Vol. 21, No. 1, january - july, 2025.
June 24th, 2024 The digital on-boarding page was launched,
enabling legal entities and self-employed workers (TCP, for its
acronym in Spanish) to receive payments via Transfermóvil in
their businesses and stores.
June 29th, 2024 the Transfermóvil platform reached 5 million
users, with over 80,000 businesses having the capability to
receive e-payments.
October 15th, 2024 A new product was launched within
Transfermóvil: MiTurno, for booking appointments to purchase
foreign currency at the currency exchange oce (CADECA, for
its acronym in Spanish). APK version: 1.241002.
November 27th, 2024 Commercial procedures associated with
liqueed gas in Holguín were incorporated into MiTurno. It then
spread to almost all provinces.
December 2024 New heritage views from dierent provinces
were implemented within the Transfermóvil APK. A joint eort
with the Oce of Procedural Formalities Facilitation for the
Payment of Contributions (OFA, for its acronym in Spanish).
December 17th, 2024 A new nancial operations module for
users of Banco Financiero Internacional (BFI, for its acronym in
Spanish) was implemented. Release: 1.241211.
February 10th, 2025 Transfermóvil’s 10th Anniversary. The
APK Release 1.250210 was launched, including a logo change
and new services such as Alternative Fixed Telephony (TFA,
for its acronym in Spanish) top-up and payment of the heritage
contribution through the MiTransfer wallet.
February 20th, 2025Transfermóvil received the popular vote
award at the Excellence awards.
April 21st, 2025 A new Transfermóvil version was released,
including payment, transfer, and query operations for the Clásica
card through the MiTransfer mobile wallet.
May 8th, 2025 Implementation of new oers for heritage tours:
Bus Tour, together with OFA and TRANSTUR.
Transfermóvil, 10 Years With Us
MSc. Julio Antonio García Trápaga
pp. 72 - 91
79
ISSN: 2224-6274, RNPS: 0514, Vol. 21, No. 1, january - july, 2025.
May 10th, 2025 Start of the pilot test using the sales
terminals: MITPV from Transfermóvil for the liqueed gas sale
in Cienfuegos.
June 29th, 2025 Transfermóvil received a recognition from
ONAT for its contribution to the digital transformation in tax
payment.
This chronological data illustrates the technological contributions
of the Transfermóvil project through the implementation of new
services. The project is not only a digital payment platform, but
also a social project focused on the needs of Cuban society. For
every societal demand driven by a need, the Transfermóvil team has
come up with a technological solution associated with improving a
process, contributions that have resulted in sustainable solutions
over time and have not always been conned to the nancial world.
Notable examples include the rst-time implementation of payment
for product purchases in Cuba in February 2020, just days before the
country declared the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. This was a joint
eort with CIMEX for online payments in the TuEnvío stores, which
enabled millions of virtual purchases, avoiding physical contact
and preserving citizen health. Until then, purchasing products from
virtual stores with digital payments using Cuban bank cards was
unthinkable in Cuba. The purchase of postage stamps was another
service that was implemented through digital payment at a time when
paper stamps were not available for legal procedures. In less than a
month, a solution was developed in conjunction with the Ministry of
Communication (MINCOM, for its acronym in Spanish), the Post Oce
of Cuba, the Ministry of Justice (MINJUS, for its acronym in Spanish),
and other institutions. Collaboration between entities, whether state
or private, has been among the projects development strategies. The
linkage between entities, where each contributes to a high-impact
nal product with time-ecient execution, has been widely used for
creating new Transfermóvil services.
Forty percent of the implemented services are the result of
user recommendations and suggestions. This reects the projects
popularity. A team of communication professionals and technical
Transfermóvil, 10 Years With Us
MSc. Julio Antonio García Trápaga
pp. 72 - 91
80
ISSN: 2224-6274, RNPS: 0514, Vol. 21, No. 1, january - july, 2025.
specialists monitors and participates in various social media groups.
Recommendations and comments about current services or potential
new ones are taken into account.
The great success of the application, responsible for all the
aforementioned results, lies with the specialists who have worked,
frequently uniting days and nights, throughout these 10 years. This
team has gained experience, always ensuring the protection of the
legacy so that it continues advancing and remains sustainable.
The implementation of digital strategies (such as the expanding
online stores and widely adopting QR codes in state and private entities)
drove the development of mobile commerce (M-Commerce). Currently
(2025), Transfermóvil has established itself as a multifunctional
platform, integrating essential services with signicant social impact.
One of the most valuable Transfermóvil’s products is the MiTransfer
wallet (formerly Bolsa MiTransfer), which is referred below. These
features reect Transfermóvil’s contribution to the process of nancial
computerization in the country, positioning it as a key tool in the digital
transformation of the local economic ecosystem. In Cuba, more than
70% of digital operations are carried out through Transfermóvil.
Materials and methods
To complete this paper, research on related texts, observations,
analyses, and data reviews were used. Furthermore, interviews with
Transfermóvil specialists from various media outlets were utilized.
Results
Transfermóvil: Evolution, technique, challenges and
improvements in the Cuban mobile payment app
As previously mentioned, the digitization of nancial services has
been a signicant milestone in the global economy, and Cuba is no
exception. With the launch of Transfermóvil, Cuba now boasts its rst
mobile payment app.
As previously explained, the digitization of nancial services
has been a signicant milestone in the global economy, and Cuba
is no exception of this digital transformation. The emergence of
Transfermóvil marks the arrival of Cubas rst mobile payment
Transfermóvil, 10 Years With Us
MSc. Julio Antonio García Trápaga
pp. 72 - 91
81
ISSN: 2224-6274, RNPS: 0514, Vol. 21, No. 1, january - july, 2025.
application.
The evolution of Transfermóvil can be divided into three phases.
During the rst phase (2015-2019), the application needed to increase
its user base in order to cover e-payments for public services. This
solved one of the main problems that Cuban society had at that time,
which was the long lines for cash payments that had to be made
monthly. However, this growth was slow because users had to gradually
adapt to the digital transition and gain condence and security.
During the second phase (2020-2023), signicant progress was
made globally in developing online stores and remote payment
systems for products that were then delivered to homes. The rst
steps in this direction were taken in 2019 and materialized at the
end of that year and the beginning of 2020. This evolution was
timely, as the development of online shopping became decisive in
the coming years due to the proximity of a pandemic. Despite the
limited experience in this area, their ability to adapt to changes
contributed to the projects success. Overall, the balance was positive.
For the rst time in Cubas history, Cubans could shop in a virtual
store and pay online through Transfermóvil and their products were
delivered to their homes. At that time, the integration standards
with Transfermóvil were established for any store or business to
implement online payments. The number of users grew exponentially,
causing virtual stores to face an overload due to the relationship
between demand and supply. Going back to Transfermóvil, it also
had to promptly guarantee greater scaling of the platform through
bigger infrastructure. Many optimizations were also made at the
code and database level, enabling the implementation of dozens of
new services and supporting the growth of millions of users.
In its most recent phase (2023-to the present), the MiTransfer wallet
was created, a process that began back in 2022. Of all the products
created, the wallet has the greatest potential and scope. With the
MiTransfer wallet, nancial services and processes are decoupled
from banking functions related to users, allowing non-banking entities
to handle these payment functions. Each person has virtual accounts
Transfermóvil, 10 Years With Us
MSc. Julio Antonio García Trápaga
pp. 72 - 91
82
ISSN: 2224-6274, RNPS: 0514, Vol. 21, No. 1, january - july, 2025.
in the wallet, that are topped up via payments made with bank cards
within Transfermóvil. In the case of the USD account, top-up comes
from abroad via remittances.
The MiTransfer wallet’s strength lies in its ability to function
without direct banking operations if the money is already in virtual
accounts. It also represents an opportunity for the unbanked persons
and provides an alternative in the event of nancial system failures.
Very few countries have 100% national wallets. Currently, there are
challenges and opportunities, such as the increasing prevalence of
crypto assets in todays world. This is a point of evolution for projects
such as Transfermóvil.
It is essential to continue on teaching new technologies not only
for senior citizens, but to anyone who are interested in acquiring this
knowledge. Regarding this matter, several studies have consistently
shown that platform usage is not age-dependent which is a positive
result that has remained consistent over the years and highlights the
applications (APK) ease of use. An interesting nding reveals that
women use Transfermóvil more frequently than men, while 10.6% of
users are aged over 60. Figure 1 shows the growth of Transfermóvil
Figure 1. Chronology of user growth by age group and gender using the
platform. Author’s own work.
users over time and their distribution by age and gender. —a highly
positive and sustained outcome over the years, which highlights the
Transfermóvil, 10 Years With Us
MSc. Julio Antonio García Trápaga
pp. 72 - 91
83
ISSN: 2224-6274, RNPS: 0514, Vol. 21, No. 1, january - july, 2025.
user-friendly nature of its application
Transfermóvil processes approximately 130 million transactions
per month, averaging 48 transactions per second. Throughout its
10-year history, the platform has not experienced any security
breaches that compromised the service. This is a positive aspect for
a platform that handles money.
Table 1 shows the geometric growth of operations within
Transfermóvil’s core services. This sustained growth underscores
Transfermóvil, 10 Years With Us
MSc. Julio Antonio García Trápaga
the platforms increasing popularity and usage. Today, Transfermóvil
is part of every Cuban’s daily routine and represents an essential
technological tool in everyday life.
1. Online payment
On Transfermóvil, people can make online payments for purchases
Table 1. Geometric growth of essential services in Transfermóvil. Author’s
own work
Figure 2. Online payment service
on Transfermóvil. Taken from the
application
pp. 72 - 91
84
ISSN: 2224-6274, RNPS: 0514, Vol. 21, No. 1, january - july, 2025.
Transfermóvil, 10 Years With Us
MSc. Julio Antonio García Trápaga
at private or state-owned establishments. This payment method
includes the merchant’s details. It can oer bonuses, has no payment
amount limits, and only requires scanning the QR code and entering
the PIN for authentication, as shown in Figure 2.
On Transfermóvil, online payments are classied based on the
nature of QR code:
Static QR: This QR code has a xed format and is exclusively
issued by the MiTransfer Boulevard platform. It contains the
business’s details, but not information regarding the specic
product or service to be acquired.
Dynamic QR: This QR code varies based on the product or
service the customer wishes. Generated by a business, it includes
transaction-specic data, such as the transaction number,
amount, and currency.
Online payments have grown signicantly over the past ve
years, with an average annual growth rate of 54.7% between 2020
and 2024. 2024 saw the highest growth rate, with transactions
exceeding 107%. Several variables have impacted this outcome.
First, the successful policy of encouraging online payments has
Figure 3. Online Payment Amount (2020-2024). Taken from the analysis of
online payment behaviors on Transfermóvil
contributed to this increase, as has the diculty of obtaining cash.
Additionally, electronic payments reduce operating costs associated
with transferring, protecting, and securing money. Figure 3 shows the
pp. 72 - 91
85
ISSN: 2224-6274, RNPS: 0514, Vol. 21, No. 1, january - july, 2025.
growth of online payments from 2020 to 2024.
There are good examples of these electronic payment policies
being implemented. The rst case study is ETECSA, which oers all
its services via electronic payments. More than seven years ago, it
became the rst entity to eliminate long lines at its oces by digitally
transforming all its service processes. Transfermóvil played a leading
and fundamental role in this transformation, covering all payments
related to the entitys services within the APK. This platform generates
more than 85% of the companys revenue.
With the Caja Extra service, customers make digital payments
to the entity and receive cash in return. This service originated due
to the lack of ATMs in our society. Once again, Transfermóvil has
provided a technological solution that allows Cubans to obtain cash
at no additional cost. The population has been very pleased with this
service. ETECSA was a pioneer in this area, as it reduces operational
costs related to transportation and security since most of the time,
commercial oces close without cash because it is dispensed through
the Caja Extra service.
Another example is TRD Caribe chain store. Based on a successful
strategy, it extended online payments to its entire chain of stores,
which now represent an important volume of its revenues in millions
of pesos.
During the rst years of its use, from 2020 to 2021, dynamic QR
codes were the most popular, but in subsequent years, static QR codes
became more prevalent due to their versatility of usage and the fact
that they don’t require technology; only a material (paper, plastic, etc.)
with the QR code. The following graph (Figure 4) shows the evolution
of online payments.
Figure 4. Online payment evolution.
Taken from Analysis of online payment
behaviors on Transfermóvil
Transfermóvil, 10 Years With Us
MSc. Julio Antonio García Trápaga
pp. 72 - 91
86
ISSN: 2224-6274, RNPS: 0514, Vol. 21, No. 1, january - july, 2025.
The MiTransfer Boulevard platform was jointly developed with
the Computing Services for Tourism Company (GET, for its acronym
in Spanish). This platform is in charge of generating QR codes for
the dierent merchants and allows both their management and
reconciliation of their nancial operations.
Currently, more than 250,000 businesses and commerce accept
online payments via Transfermóvil. This is an additional development
strategy that has been successful for over four years and has grown
exponentially in terms of results.
Although the statistics obtained regarding e-payments can be
evaluated as good, the percentage of online payments compared
to the total payment operation capacity is far from the desired
level. This indicates that eorts must continue to mitigate non-
technological factors aecting the achievement of desired online
payment indicators.
The inter-account transfer service remains the most popular
feature of Transfermóvil. Online payments doubled, and the Caja
Extra service quintupled in 2024, indicating their growing popularity.
For every fteen transfers, one online payment is made. For every
Caja Extra transaction, 3.5 online payments and 53 transfers are
carried out. Figure 5 shows the distribution of online payments
through Transfermóvil by province.
Figure 5. Distribution of online payments through Transfermóvil by provinces.
Author’s own work.
Figure 6. Transfermóvil’s online store galleries
Transfermóvil, 10 Years With Us
MSc. Julio Antonio García Trápaga
pp. 72 - 91
87
ISSN: 2224-6274, RNPS: 0514, Vol. 21, No. 1, january - july, 2025.
Transfermóvil, in collaboration with Avangenio, oers another
solution: The Point-of-Sale Terminal (MITPV, for its acronym in
Spanish):
1. Payment for products and services purchased. At the customers
request, specic services, such as Caja Extra, can be added.
2. This method can be used for self-service payments. Customized
service.
3. Multiple payment options: Transfermóvil, Visa and Mastercard,
Cash, etc.
4. Each payment is classied by product and quantity.
5. Refunds. This option is editable in multiple languages.
6. Ability to connect to an accounting or inventory system.
Figure 7 shows the MiTransfer Point-of-Sale Terminal.
Transfermóvil has laid the groundwork for future innovations
in Cubas e-commerce ecosystem. In summary, the data shows that
the App has solved immediate problems of nancial access and
operational eciency. It is also driving a structural transformation in
the Cuban economy, providing tangible benets to citizens, private
businesses, and the State. Its continuous evolution suggests that it
will remain a key driver of digitalization in Cuba in the coming years.
2. MiTransfer Wallet
Since its launch on August 19, 2022, as a complement to
Transfermóvil, it has transformed the Cuban nancial landscape and
Figure 7. MiTransfer Point-of-Sale Terminal
Transfermóvil, 10 Years With Us
MSc. Julio Antonio García Trápaga
pp. 72 - 91
88
ISSN: 2224-6274, RNPS: 0514, Vol. 21, No. 1, january - july, 2025.
reached nearly one million active users. This digital wallet operates
independently of the banking network and is experiencing a growing
trend in operations and users. It has enabled tens of thousands of
unbanked individuals to participate in the Cuban e-commerce
ecosystem, despite not having bank cards, by facilitating them to
make digital payments. It is a Transfermóvil’s product that has not yet
reached maturity due to various non-technological causes. Therefore, a
well-dened policy has been established to promote its use by oering
new services that are attractive to both banked and unbanked users.
As its use is strengthened with new services, MiTransfer will become
a better alternative to bank cards. Currently, the MiTransfer wallet
has two virtual accounts: one in CUP and one in USD. However, it has
the ability to have other virtual accounts. With the CUP account, you
can receive money from bank cards through the wallet top-up option
in each bank-associated APK. The USD account receives money from
abroad through remittances. The MiTransfer wallet oers a similar
service portfolio to other banks: online payments, transfers, and
utility payments can be made.
The maximum amount of money in each virtual account in this
wallet is 80,000 CUP for CUP accounts and 5,000 USD for USD
accounts. To register for the Transfermóvil APK, you only need to own
a mobile telephone line and enter your identity card information and
set your PIN.
The telecommunications agent module, the rst independent
module of Transfermóvil in 2015, is within the mobile wallet. Since
2024, it has been integrated into the wallet, giving these economic
players a greater range of service options to oer: payment of telephone
bills, mobile top-ups, Nauta top-ups, Nauta Hogar payments, Propia
card top-ups, Alternative Fixed Telephony top-ups, (known as TFA,
for its acronym in Spanish) and purchase of plans and data packages.
In 2025, the MiTransfer wallet included the option for individuals
to use the Cuban Clásica card. This allows users to make transfers
between Classic cards, check their account balances, view recent
transactions, and make online payments. This is another example of
collaboration between entities.
Transfermóvil, 10 Years With Us
MSc. Julio Antonio García Trápaga
pp. 72 - 91
89
ISSN: 2224-6274, RNPS: 0514, Vol. 21, No. 1, january - july, 2025.
Currently, there are several lines of development open for new
services associated with the wallet. These services are expected to be
launched this year and, due to their societal impact, should encourage
its use.
Conclusions
Transfermóvil has established itself as a fundamental tool in
the digitization of nancial and commercial services in Cuba. Its
evolution from a simple xed phone bill payment application to an
all-encompassing digital payment platform reects its commitment
to the Cuban people. Over the past 10 years, Transfermóvil has
contributed to the economic, social, and technological development of
various sectors of Cuban society. It has been a pioneer in transforming
the digital society with substantial signicance especially in the
nancial sector. It is a platform oering more than 70 IT services
and products that facilitate nancial transactions. The most notable
include the MiTransfer wallet, MiTransfer Boulevard, MiTurno, the
telecommunications agent module, and MITPV, among others.
There is still much to be done and technological challenges and
obstacles to overcome. The projects sustainability and its role in the
transformation of digital society are priorities in the projects strategy
for the coming years. Teamwork and technological networking with
other economic actors will be paramount in developing new services.
The digital transformation of a society is not a destination but a path to
be followed, one that must be consistent in every new service design.
This digital transformation will yield better results to the extent that
strategic, timely, and rapid decisions are made.
In the context of economic reforms, implementation is key
to achieving Cubas technological and financial sovereignty. Its
success depends on the ability to scale solutions that balance
innovation, accessibility, and security while addressing the real
needs of the population. Transfermóvil is more than an APK; it is
a symbol of how Cuba can adapt technology to its particularities.
It shows that inclusive digital alternatives can be built even in
Transfermóvil, 10 Years With Us
MSc. Julio Antonio García Trápaga
pp. 72 - 91
90
ISSN: 2224-6274, RNPS: 0514, Vol. 21, No. 1, january - july, 2025.
complex environments. Its evolution will serve as an indicator of
computerization progress in Cuban society in the coming years.
Bibliografía
Anaya, A., & Lopez, I. (2014). La tecnología NFC en teléfonos celulares, sus retos y
aplicaciones.
Avances en la informatización de la sociedad cubana. (s.f.). Recuperado el 7
de Septiembre de 2015, de Cubadebate: http://mesaredonda.cubadebate.
cu/temas/ciencia-y-tecnologia-temas/2015/09/17/avances-en-la-
informatizacion-de-la-sociedad-cubana/
Aydin, N., Cozkun, V., & Osdenizci, B. (2009). Exploring underlying values of NFC
applications, in Proc. of International Conf. on Management Technology and
Applications (ICMTA 2010), Singapur, pp. 10–12.
Bernardos, A. (2008). Modelo de integración de tecnologías para la provisión de
servicios móviles basados en localización y contexto. Tesis Doctoral.
Buellingen, F., & Woerter, M. (2004). Development Perspectives, Firm Strategies
and Applications in Mobile Commerce, Journal of Business Research.
Camacho Casado, L. (2014). Nuevas Inversiones para aanzar la banca
electronica.
Chaparro, G. (2010). Mobile Financial Services - An Integrated Solution, Gemalto.
Cujin, D., & Gerrero, L. (2014). Analisis de la factibilidad para la implementación
de la billetera móvil en la ciudad de cuenca.
Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba S.A. (s.f.). Obtenido de Portal del
Trabajador: http://www.portal.etecsa.cu/
Gartner. (2013). Gartner Says Worldwide Mobile Payment Transaction Value to
Surpass $235 Billion in 2013, Stanford, Connecticut.
Hanouch, M., & Chen, G. (2015). La importancia del USSD en la promoción de la
competencia en los pagos por móvil.
Huang, H. (2007). Diusion of Mobile Commerce Application in the Market, IEEE
Innovative Computing, Information and Control.
Kadhiwal, S. (2007). Analysis of mobile payment security measures and dierent
standards. Computer Fraud & Security.
Liebana-Cabanillas, F. (2012). El papel de los medios de pago en los nuevos
Transfermóvil, 10 Years With Us
MSc. Julio Antonio García Trápaga
pp. 72 - 91
91
ISSN: 2224-6274, RNPS: 0514, Vol. 21, No. 1, january - july, 2025.
entornos electrónicos. Tesis Doctoral, Departamento de Comercialización e
Investigación de Mercados.
Masamila, B., Mtenzi, F., Said, J., & Tinabo, R. (2010). A Secured Mobile Payment
Model for Developing Markets, Communications in Computer and Information
Science.
Nambiar, S., Chang, T., & Liang, L. (2004). Analysis of Payment Transaction
Security in Mobile Commerce. IEEE Information Reuse and Integration.
Revista Nro. 3, Telebanca. (2007). Revista del Banco central de Cuba.
Reyes, L. (2025). Análisis de comportamiento de los pagos en línea en
Transfermóvil, Msc. Tesis de la Facultad de Ingeniería Informática, Universidad
Tecnológica de La Habana José Antonio Echeverría.
Rivera, C. (2011). Servicios de Transacciones Económicas de dinero móvil entre
usuarios de las operadoras del servicio móvil avanzado en el ecuador.
Rivera, C. (2012). Implementación del sistema de pagos y transacciones a través
de las redes del servicio móvil avanzado para atender a la población sin acceso
a la banca formal en el Ecuador.
Schwiderski, S., & Knospe, H. (2011). Secure M-Commerce.
Transfermóvil, 10 Years With Us
MSc. Julio Antonio García Trápaga
pp. 72 - 91