How Scan to Pay is evolving to meet the demands of mobile-first shoppers
Ask any web or app developer what their main priority is when going live with their site and they will tell you that it has to be mobile friendly. Given that in the South African context, the country has the third largest number of consumers using smartphones for internet access globally, the functionality of any site or app has to be just as efficient on small screen, or mobile devices as on desk or laptop computers if it is to gain any traction.
With the youngest population on the planet, Africa’s Gen Zs are almost exclusively smartphone owners. With 98% of South Africa’s young people using their phones as cameras, books, for entertainment, to navigate, to keep in touch with friends and family around the world, and to book local transport, why wouldn’t they also be using them to make online purchases?
What is m-commerce?
E-commerce has experienced a boom worldwide, with Africa experiencing some of the fastest growth due to its youthful population and the accessibility of smartphones. In South Africa alone, the value of e-commerce grows between 20-35% annually. On a continent with vast areas underserved by traditional banking and other land-based services, it makes sense that we have gone online to access these facilities. This has led to the continent becoming the hub for technical innovation, enabling the e-commerce sector to grow at an unprecedented rate. In 2020, Africa’s domestic e-payment market was worth around $15 billion, but this is expected to surpass $40 billion in 2025.
In this digital landscape, alternative online payment methods are proliferating at a rapid rate, as m-commerce is becoming the dominant mode of online shopping.
What does this mean for business?
Simply put, as clever as mobile smartphones are, they can’t always multitask, and scanning QR codes for payment at the same time as online shopping are mutually exclusive activities! This means that online merchants must ensure that consumers have as many online payment options as possible to ensure that carts are not abandoned at the virtual checkout because a purchase cannot be completed. The increase in m-commerce is making mobile-first strategies an important part of any business. User experience (UX), from browsing to payment needs to be seamless, efficient, and safe if businesses are to retain a competitive edge.
The importance of efficient, secure mobile payment solutions
The growth of m-commerce has been matched by the growth in online payment options, which need to be fast, secure and user-friendly for an online store or service to retain customers. A site needs to be 100% trusted by its users, including the payment options on offer to shoppers, with multiple ways of paying a critical factor for the success of e-commerce businesses.
Introducing Pay by App
Pay by App is an innovative payment solution that enables users to make secure payments directly from their bank and Scan to Pay app in a process initiated through a deep link between the e-commerce site and the consumer’s banking app. The process leverages the user’s banking app integrations to facilitate and authorise secure, real-time transactions, without the user having to enter any card details at checkout, thus reducing the risk of fraud and data breaches.
‘Pay by App’ is another in Scan to Pay’s arsenal of revolutionary payment options that are meeting evolving consumer and merchant needs.
Scan to Pay leads the way
Scan to Pay as a brand is committed to remaining at the forefront of online payment technologies developing new features that align with the m-commerce trend and benefit both businesses and consumers in the mobile shopping ecosystem.
The future of shopping is undeniably mobile, and businesses that wish to stay ahead must prioritise seamless, secure mobile payment solutions. As m-commerce continues to expand, providing consumers with convenient and trustworthy payment options is crucial for success.
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