Every December in Nigeria, families separated by continents reunite in one conscious effort to celebrate the holiday season together. Tourists and international visitors in pursuit of a ‘detty December’ fly into the country ready to splurge and spend at the best hotspots in the country. But there’s one issue: Naira accessibility. Carrying around large amounts of cash can lead to some form of loss, and many financial solutions require local documentation.
This is what the Blink Travel Card was built to solve. The Blink Travel Card, from Nigerian fintech, 03 Capital, is a prepaid card designed to simplify financial transactions for visitors to Nigeria. Abimbola Pinheiro, CEO of 03 Capital, the parent company of Blink, shares why their travel card is what every Nigerian visitor is missing for liquidity with the local currency.
What was the moment that led to Blink?
AP: Blink Travel Card was born from the idea that accessing Naira should be the easiest part of traveling to Nigeria.
It was created to alleviate the stress of foreign exchange for Naira and the difficulties of spending like a local, as well as merchant acceptance without concern for chargeback, dispute, and settlement.
Beyond security, what frustrations do tourists face?
AP: Card declines, poor FX rates, cash-only merchants, long queues at bureaux de change, and the assumption that you need a local bank account, even for a short stay.
Why has instant access to Naira been difficult?
AP: Nigeria’s financial infrastructure hasn’t been designed with short-term visitors in mind. Most financial products here are built for residents, not visitors, as their onboarding documents assume residency or local documentation. Blink fills the gap by providing instant, compliant access to Naira without requiring a local bank account.
Walk us through the Blink experience.
AP: You arrive, pick up your Blink Travel Card at the Airport, sign up on the O3cards App, and complete your first level KYC. Then, you fund your Blink card with your existing international card, and spend instantly in Naira, at POS terminals, online, or ATMs. No waiting, no paperwork.
How does Blink make this happen technically?
AP: At a high level, we securely connect international card funding with local payment rails, so conversion and settlement happen almost instantly behind the scenes.
What makes Blink more flexible than other prepaid cards?
AP: There’s no residency requirement, no long onboarding, and no long-term commitment. You load when you want, spend locally, and leave when you’re done. This reduces unnecessary attention, eliminates “foreigner pricing,” and helps users move through the local economy confidently and discreetly.
How does Blink address security concerns?
AP: The card has built-in controls supported by the O3 Cards Mobile app, monitoring, and the ability to act fast if anything goes wrong.
Blink is built with multiple layers of security, including:
- Card-level controls
- Real-time transaction monitoring
- Secure funding from verified international cards
If a card is lost or compromised, users can take immediate action without losing physical cash.
How reliable is Blink?
AP: Blink’s travel card is built specifically for Nigeria’s payment environment, and maintains a high transaction success rate across clubs, restaurants, hotels, and everyday retail locations.
Is Blink for Nigeria only?
AP: Blink has launched with Nigeria as her focus, but the vision is borderless.
We see strong potential in other African markets with high tourist traffic and similar payment challenges.
What’s next for the product?
AP: Without giving too much away, future updates will deepen convenience, control, and lifestyle integration, making Blink more than just a travel card, but a complete travel-money experience.
