Could OnePay Be the First Fintech-Super App Offering Banking and Phone Service?

Highlights

OnePay, backed by Walmart, launches a $35/month unlimited 5G wireless plan.
The plan integrates seamlessly into its fintech app, accessing AT&T’s network.
This marks a bold cross-industry expansion, positioning OnePay as a “super app.”
Investors are watching how combining telecom and financial services could disrupt both sectors.

OnePay Expands from Fintech to Telecom with Ambitious Launch

OnePay, the fintech venture primarily owned by Walmart, is making a strategic play to broaden its platform by launching its own branded wireless service. The $35-per-month plan offers users unlimited 5G data, talk, and text over AT&T’s network. Available directly through the OnePay app, this move signals Walmart’s intent to deepen customer engagement by weaving telecom services into its financial ecosystem. The launch of OnePay Wireless positions the company at the forefront of a growing convergence between banking platforms and mobile connectivity—an attempt to become more than just a financial tool, but a daily super app.

Seamless Integration: Financial Tools Meet Wireless Connectivity

Since OnePay’s debut in 2021, the app has steadily grown its capabilities, adding debit and credit cards, savings accounts, digital wallets, peer-to-peer payments, and buy-now-pay-later options. By embedding wireless service into this ecosystem, OnePay is leveraging its existing infrastructure to deliver added convenience to consumers. Customers can activate the phone plan without leaving the app framework, sidestepping traditional telecom sign-up friction. This integration promises reduced customer acquisition costs and positions Walmart-backed OnePay as a convenient one-stop shop for everyday needs.

Strategic Partnership Enhances Offering Without Heavy Infrastructure

To execute the launch efficiently, OnePay partnered with Gigs, a mobile services startup that enables tech firms to embed connectivity into their platforms. This allows OnePay to offer telecom services without building expensive infrastructure. Gigs facilitates distribution from within the app, transforming connectivity from a standalone commodity into a customizable feature. For Walmart, which already reaches millions through its retail footprint, this agentless model enables rapid roll-out and nationwide availability without capital-intensive investment.

Market Implications: A Model for Converging Fintech and Telecom

OnePay’s new offering arrives at a moment when fintech firms are exploring paths to become broader service hubs. By bundling financial services with mobile plans, OnePay could challenge both traditional banks and wireless carriers. Consumers increasingly seek streamlined experiences, and a combined financial-telecom product appeals to cost-conscious and digitally engaged users. The move could inspire other retailers and fintechs to explore similar integrations, potentially reshaping the boundaries between industries.

What to Watch Next

The key questions now focus on user response and competitive reaction. OnePay must drive adoption of the wireless plan while maintaining high service quality. It also needs to ensure that financial products and telecom offerings reinforce, rather than distract from, each other. Observers will monitor whether rival fintechs or mobile operators respond with similar bundling or new pricing models. For investors, success will hinge on OnePay’s ability to scale this concept profitably while preserving user experience. As OnePay blurs the lines between fintech and telecom, its performance could redefine consumer expectations across both sectors.