Every day, Toun Thon, a 42-year-old Wing Cash Xpress Agent, wakes up knowing he is making a difference. It is the joy of hearing customers tell him they’re happy with his service, which makes his day. This positive feedback underscores his role in the community and fuels his dream to secure a good future for his family.

Forty-two-year-old Toun Thon became a Wing Cash Xpress agent six years ago in Phum Ti Buon, Sangkat Dang Tong of Krong Khemara Phumin in Koh Kong province, after seeing the income potential and ability to provide financial services to people in the rural area.

His decision was also driven by the huge development in the nation's finance and banking sector, which prompted him to join the Wing Bank in 2019.

“At first, there was only one Wing Cash Xpress Agent in this village, but I saw a lot of potential in the area, so I decided to become the other agent,” he said, sharing that from only two agents serving local residents, “now there are many”.

Before venturing into this business, Thon was a taxi driver in Takeo and used Wing bank’s service to send and withdraw money. It was convenient for him to connect with his customers, noting that the service was fast, and it was easy to obtain cash almost everywhere.

Although he moved to Koh Kong, he continued to work in the transport business, ferrying garment workers daily in the mornings and evenings. This provided additional income for him to support his family of four children and wife, Ming Theary, who has her own job.

Wing Bank’s rapid advancement

Thanks to Wing Bank’s well-known reputation, it is easy for agents to operate their business and gain people’s trust. Many locals, especially garment workers, often use the service when they want to transfer money to their family, as well as pay their utility bills, Thon said.

He received support from the first day — when people saw him installing the agent signboard. “We offers many services for customers, including cash withdrawal and deposits and other financial services. Therefore, as an agent, I earn some income from this and gain knowledge about finance and banking sectors, including financial management.”

He said Wing Bank has developed rapidly from a money transfer service provider. Since then, it has achieved remarkable growth and market demand, offering a range of services, including domestic and international money transfers, bill payments, mobile top-ups, online shopping and QR payments.

On June 16, Wing Bank opened a new branch in Koh Kong province, bringing convenient, fast and secure banking services to the southwest region of Cambodia. Strategically located in Phum Ti Muoy, Sangkat Smach Mean Chey, Krong Khemara Phumin, along National Road No 48, Thon said it is another great move to build more trust for rural people to seek Wing Bank services.

At the heart of Wing Bank’s success is a bold vision to redefine how Cambodians engage with money. Today the bank operates nearly 30 branches across Cambodia, supported by a network of over 12,000 Wing Cash Xpress Agents and more than 100 Wing Master Agents nationwide. The bank holds nearly USD 3 billion in deposits and serves over 9.5 million account holders, contributing to financial inclusion and innovation.

Thon mentioned, adding that he takes pride in fulfilling his roles and responsibilities, and loves his work.

Wing Bank agents offer a wide range of services, for instance, loans referral. As an agent, Thon provides initial information and connects customers with a credit officer. After the customer and officer complete the loan process, the Wing Bank agent earns an income from the service.

“I have received a lot of feedback from customers after they accepted our service. They felt confident using their personal Wing Bank account to transfer and withdraw money via bank accounts for free; they just need to scan the QR code.”

Responsibility to customers

Owing to the massive support for Wing Bank, people have asked Thon how to become an agent. They see how important the service is, what they can receive as a service provider and the ability to work from home, he said.

While he is not the only Wing agency there, he has his own customers who seek his services because he puts in the effort to serve them responsibly, and with a smile.

He sees the importance of agents serving workers in economic zones owing to his years of experience transporting garment workers. "I wake up early to take them to the factories. In the evening, I bring them back home after their shift."

Given his busy schedule, he makes sure his Wing outlet is always manned. Quite often, his wife covers for him when he is at his part-time job so customers continue to be properly served.

Thon said regardless of education background, anyone can be a Wing Bank agent, although it is good to have an understanding of banking and finance. He explained that he dropped out of school after Grade 9, but before he opened his Wing outlet, Wing Bank asked him to join a three-day training course on operations in Phnom Penh.

“To open a Wing outlet, knowledge about the operation process, commitment and potential locations are required,” he added.

Wing Bank income backs dreams

When asked what he is most proud of, Thon immediately replied: customer satisfaction. He said it makes him happy to hear customers say how pleased they are with the service of Wing Bank .

For him, this feedback highlights his worth as an agent, reflecting his responsibility in serving the community, and truly making a difference.

To sustain his daily expenses, he needs to spend a lot, so income from working with Wing Bank helps to cover monthly expenses, including water and electricity. Therefore, his income from transporting garment workers, plus his wife's income, are saved for their family's future and their children's education.

“This Wing Bank has motivated me to encourage my daughter to study and work in the finance and banking field in the future. As a father, I couldn’t study and work directly with banking, so I hope she can do it when she grows up.”

With things going well in Koh Kong, Thon plans to eventually move back to his beloved hometown in Takeo. He hopes to leave the business to his children to run. He has already purchased a piece of land in Takeo with the savings from his part-time work and earnings as a Wing agent. 

This article was originally reported by Kiripost. Read the full story here.