By MTHULISI SIBANDA
JOHANNESBURG – SHOPPERS can now use MasterPass, the digital commerce platform from MasterCard, to safely and seamlessly pay for in-store or face-to-face purchases at over 2 000 iKhokha retailers and service providers in South Africa.
This follows a collaboration announced today by MasterCard and mobile commerce provider, iKhokha.
This sees MasterPass’ digital checkout services integrated into iKhokha’s mobile payment application used by a wide range of small, medium and mobile enterprises including hair and beauty salons, tourism businesses, health care practitioners and professionals.
Ann Cairns, President for International Markets, MasterCard, said MasterPass was a major step forward in the evolution of payments.
“As the way we shop changes, the way we tap, click and make a payment needs to evolve to best fit our needs and lifestyles wherever we are and from whichever connected device we choose,” said Cairns.
Since its launch in South Africa in July 2014, MasterPass has grown its acceptance network, with consumers able to pay using the digital wallet at more than 370 South African merchants as well as over 250 000 merchants internationally.
“This positive uptake by merchants and consumers is indicative that digital payments are growing in popularity. Today, we are excited to offer MasterPass users even more places to pay digitally at iKhokha retailers and service providers,” said Cairns.
For merchants, MasterPass provides a secure, quick and easy way to checkout their customers, which can lead to increased spending and more frequent purchases. It also opens new business opportunities and enables merchants to potentially increase their sales to consumers in 28 other countries where MasterPass is available including Australia, Canada, China, United Kingdom and the United States.
Matt Putman, Ikhokha Managing Director, said the collaboration with MasterCard and MasterPass would help merchants embrace cash to card to digital acceptance.
“Providing Small and Medium Enterprises with cash recording capabilities, as well as digital and physical card payment acceptance, in one mobile app is to our knowledge an African first,” said Putman.
– CAJ News
