Finding Blessings Behind a Pre-Dawn Cake Stall with BSya by BCA Syariah
JAKARTA — It is only three in the morning, but Sulasmi is already busy handling containers of cakes. At her modest stall in Slipi, West Jakarta, the woman, who was born in 1974, begins arranging lemper, risoles and doughnuts before the city wakes up.
As dawn approaches, customers usually start arriving. They are workers and students looking for a bite to eat before setting off for work and school. By around 8am, Sulasmi’s stock has usually sold out. Once her morning’s trading is over, she can go home and rest.
Sulasmi sets aside some of the proceeds from her pre-dawn cake sales as savings. She had long wanted to open an account at an Islamic bank, both to put away her hard-earned money and to have it managed in accordance with Islamic principles, without riba (interest). But her plans often fell through because she was exhausted after work.
“After selling until eight or nine, my body is completely worn out; I feel very weak,” Sulasmi told Republika some time ago.
“To have a shower, get dressed, then go to a bank branch and queue — oh, I just couldn’t manage it,” she added.
Her daughter, 23-year-old Kurniawati, eventually helped make it possible. Kurniawati had first heard about the BSya app through advertisements she often saw while using public transport to get to university. She told her mother, who had wanted an Islamic bank account for some time, that BCA Syariah customers could now open an account without visiting a branch.
Sulasmi was initially hesitant because she felt unfamiliar with technology. With Kurniawati’s guidance, however, the process proved simple: she only had to photograph her identity card, enter a few personal details and follow the on-screen verification instructions.
After finishing her sales, while resting beside the now-empty cake containers, Sulasmi’s BCA Syariah account was successfully activated. “It’s a huge help for small traders like me. I can do it from home without spending money on transport. A few taps on my phone after selling, and it’s done,” she said.
Seeing how easily her mother could transact, Kurniawati, who had initially helped her, also became interested in opening a BCA Syariah account. As a student in Depok, she has different banking needs from her mother.
Kurniawati relies on public transport for her daily commute to campus. Through the BSya app, she can easily top up her Flazz card to support her everyday journeys.
“The interface feels very youthful, and I access it on my phone. The video-call verification was not difficult either; everything is easy,” Kurniawati said.
The mother and daughter’s experience illustrates how BCA Syariah presents its BSya app as a flexible financial partner for both busy small traders and digitally minded young people.
Convenient banking services like these are not just for office workers. Market traders and young people may be among those most in need of straightforward access.