African digital Payments Service Provider (PSP) , DPO Group, has launched an e-commerce store.
Powered by Mastercard’s payments gateway technology, the platform will enable merchants across Africa to swiftly move their businesses online and continue to trade with their customers.
The end to end e-commerce solution called the DPO Store is available in the 19 countries in which DPO operates.
Initially targeted at essential services such as supermarkets, food stores, pharmacies and chemists, merchants are provided with a free website and an integrated digital payments function which is fully connected to the DPO and Mastercard payments gateway platform meaning that all forms of payment including cards and mobile money can be accepted.
The website is customized for each merchant to reflect their brand and it includes stock capability, a stock-alert system when product inventory runs low and real-time order management.
DPO reports that the product has been well received in the Kenyan market following its launch on April 1.
In a statement to newsrooms Eran Feinstein, CEO of DPO Group said the COVID-19 Pandemic has necessitated businesses to rethink in order to present the best available options to clients.
“We are pleased to be partnering with Mastercard on this timely initiative to try and address some of the challenges businesses of all sizes are facing, working with merchants to ‘reinvent’ their business by offering a fast, secure online capability, which they may not have had access to before. We are also offering DPO Store merchants up to 25 percent discount on transaction fees and preferred settlement terms.” said Feinstein.
In 2018, DPO Group and Mastercard entered into a partnership whereby DPO is authorized to act as a Pan-African payments switch via Mastercard Payments Gateway Services, meaning it can independently authorize transactions with no need for bank integration.
Adam Jones, Area Business Head, East Africa, Mastercard added, “At Mastercard, we see a connected world where opportunity and prosperity are possible for everyone, everywhere. We are leveraging our network, insights, technology, and partnerships like this one with DPO to deliver the resources small business owners need now to help them sustain their business as they quickly adapt to a new way of operating and evolving customer needs through e-commerce.”
“Working with our long-term partner DPO, Mastercard is delivering a measurable, positive impact to these SMEs by enabling them to seamlessly offer their products online to a much wider customer base while including them in the digital payments ecosystem thereby.”
Currently, 55 businesses providing essential products and services such as supermarkets, restaurants, groceries, pharmaceuticals, and fresh produce have already signed up to the DPO Store in Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia as consumers increasingly turn to e-commerce for their day to day transactions.
