The Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), and Universal Health Insurance Authority (UHIA) have launched the single government services card in Port Said City.
The card has been created following global standards in collaboration with Visa, the world leader in digital payments. It allows citizens to receive different public services using a single card as part of the national digital transformation plan and the efforts for building a digital economy.
Phase one covers food subsidies, universal health insurance, and e-payments. More government services will be available through the card, and the new system will be applied in other governorates later.
Ration cards are still valid, and citizens can receive food and bread subsidies using those cards at ration shops. After the single card system is applied in Port Said, the card can only be used to receive food and bread subsidies, with ration cards being valid for those who still haven’t received the single card.
The rollout of the single card represents a quantum leap in the public service system as part of a mega digital transformation plan aimed at preventing corruption and facilitating and accelerating service delivery. Launching the new system is in line with the implementation of an article of the Universal Health Insurance Law that requires the issuance of a digital card for beneficiaries.
The new system, which delivers a single card that provides access to a variety of services, helps ensure that support is provided to those who most deserve it and that financial inclusion is attained. The card will be delivered to citizens free of charge.
Egypt Post plays a key role in the card issuance system. Card recipients open accounts at Egypt Post using their National ID and mobile phone numbers. The card is embedded with a smart fingerprint to ensure that services are delivered to beneficiaries. About 500K accounts have been opened in Port Said and are now ready to be activated.
The single card is a prepaid smart card used to deposit or receive money on the card, make purchases through point-of-sale (POS) terminals at merchants’, or withdraw cash from Egypt Post ATMs, with the amount deducted from the card balance. The card can be used to pay for digital government services, collect food and bread subsidies at local bakeries and ration shops, and receive universal health insurance services.
The head of the household will be notified via text message (SMS) to visit a specific post office or ration shop within a certain time frame, along with his wife and any children over the age of 16, to obtain the card. The head of the household receives his card with added food and bread subsidies for the whole family, and other family members have their cards with universal health insurance and payment services.
The card can be collected from post offices, ration shops, the UHIA office, or the Port Said general bureau for up to one month after the text message is received. If it is not collected within this time frame, it can be collected from the Port Said general bureau for an additional month. After that, the card will be shredded.
At the collection point, the head of the household presents his National ID and mobile phone number and receives cards for the whole family, free of charge, delivered by Egypt Post staff. Payment services are instantly activated, while food subsidy and health insurance services are activated later.
If the text message is not received, citizens can call the Digital Egypt hotline 15999 to find out the card collection place and date.
After the activation of food subsidy services is announced, the head of the household heads to the nearest bakery or ration shop to receive his and his family’s ration using the new card in the same old way, with no fingerprint required. With the first collection process of food or bread rations using the new card, the old ration card becomes void.
When universal health insurance services are activated, citizens can request the service through the call center or by visiting a health unit. When requesting health insurance services, the citizen’s identity is verified through the card and their fingerprint, and then the service is provided.
To receive service using the card, the cardholder must present it. Only the cardholder (owner) can use the card, and they must memorize the personal identification number (PIN) and keep it somewhere far from the card. It is the cardholder’s responsibility to keep the card and PIN safe. The card must not be scratched, folded, or damaged. Transaction receipts are also preferably kept.
Service requests made using the card and PIN at POS terminals are the full responsibility of the cardholder. If a wrong fingerprint is entered more than seven times, the card becomes void, and the citizen requests a replacement at their expense. Lost or damaged cards and forgotten PINs must be reported immediately through Call Center 15999 for the card to be suspended. In case the card is lost, stolen, or damaged, the cardholder must request a replacement at their own expense.
To request a replacement for a lost or damaged card, a citizen must log into the Digital Egypt platform (digital.gov.eg) and request that a replacement be issued and printed for EGP 300. The card is reprinted within 10 working days. Citizens must request a replacement one month before the card expires (in three years) to avoid service interruption.
For information on the card services and applications, kindly call Hotline 15999.
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