One of my favorite things about reviewing mobile apps is seeing them evolve for the better. This is especially true when the enhancements introduced are ones that I called for in my reviews. To be clear, I’m not at all suggesting that I actually had a hand in manifesting these updates, but it’s nice to know we’re on the same page. The latest example of this comes from Mezu — a P2P app that has now introduced a new way to receive and send anonymous payments.
Mezu is an app that can best be compared to peer to peer services like Venmo, except with an extra emphasis on privacy that led them to create several different payment options. Among them, the app previously offered what they called MoneyBoxes (which were also called MezuBoxes once upon a time) that users could easily generate, allowing others to anonymously send them money. The only problem was that, in a bid to keep MoneyBox numbers short and available, boxes were geo-locked to a 50-mile radius — although you could adjust the origination point of the box if you wished. Well, now Mezu has fixed this issue with the introduction of Global MoneyBoxes.
If you log into your Mezu account, there’s a good chance you already see a Global MoneyBox set up for you. You’ll also notice that these types of boxes start with the letter ‘G’ followed by six digits where normal ones begin with ‘M’ and have four digits. Also, when searching for MoneyBoxes, Global boxes will display an approximate zip code instead of an address.
Having experimented with my Global MoneyBox, I have noticed a few things. First, while you can still generate new geo-locked MoneyBoxes, it doesn’t seem as though you can add another Global one. However, since you do have the option of deleting your box, I wonder if you can create another afterward — but I wasn’t going to find out. Also, when I tapped on my Global MoneyBox, it still showed a radius of 100 miles. Despite this, I was able to send funds to a friend nearly 900 miles away without issue. Thus, I suspect Mezu is still in the process of fully update the app to reflect this latest feature.
In terms of uses, as Mezu notes, this new feature could be beneficial in a few different ways For one, creators could use their Global MoneyBoxes to collect tips and donations during live streams or on social media. This would not only allow these transactions to occur anonymously but also avoid some of the fees associated with YouTube’s Supers or what some other P2P apps might charge. Plus, once funds do arrive, you can easily access them via Mezu’s digital debit card.
Personally, I’m excited to see that Mezu is continuing to add features as I think the app is incredibly clever and underrated. I’m also hoping that they’ll bring back some of their debit card cash back offers that they had earlier this year. But, even if that doesn’t happen, I’ll continue to keep an eye on this FinTech for sure.