BSP Mobile Payments Transforming the Businesses in PNG
Small retail and hospitality businesses in Papua New Guinea are moderately engaging in the new approach of fast and transparent payment solutions through the BSP mobile banking platform *131# for an ease of payments.
Embracing the efficiency of the approach, these businesses are ushering a new era of transaction behaviour via the mobile phones that is intervening to enhance the way customers pay for goods and services.
According to the 2021 BSP Digital Payment Statistics report, retail and hospitality businesses around the country has been marked to have the highest number of consumers purchasing goods and services via mobile merchant payment method, in the mobile payment arena, and have maintained this in the first quarter of 2022.
The results shows a shift from cash and card to mobile payment as the “mobile Point of Sale” which represents the biggest opportunity to enhance business growth in PNG through a fast, transparent and seamless way of making payments.
Hence, from the statistics 2021 and Quarter 1, 2022 report, number of SME merchants stood out in leading the way with Digital payments in the country.
Duffy café, that currently has four express locations around Port Moresby – Harbour-side, inside Jacksons International Departure lounge, BSP Head Office, Waigani and the main outlet at Gabaka Street, Gordons. The café is one of the very first in the country to tap into the mobile payment trend. Renowned in Port Moresby for its impressive speciality coffee, delicious pastries, cakes and gourmet burgers.
The café accept payments via card and BSP mobile merchant payment. Duffy Café Sales Supervisor, Ms Aileen John elaborates, “The key to influencing customer behaviour is to display signage with the merchant code and also guide the customer on how to pay with their mobile phones. The receipts are cashless, an added advantage that is environmentally friendly.
The other local SME is - Zatisfied Café and Catering that burst the scene early this year (2022), offering BSP mobile merchant payment solutions as a payment option to its customers.
Gift Peandi paying for a cup of coffee using BSP Mobile Merchant Payment method.
Located inside the Telikom Rumana building at Waigani, the local coffee shop offers a variety of affordable delights ranging from cappuccinos to fried fish and chips. The food outlet receives an average of ten mobile payment transactions per day.
Business owner, Mr Graham Osborne states, “We have the mobile merchant posters displayed around the café for our customers. The staff are doing so well showing customers on how to pay using their mobile phones”
The other prominent BSP merchant is situated in the heart of Kavieng town -Lipkanda Investment, a locally owned second-hand shop best known for selling quality used items ranging from clothing, books and shoes, to video games.
Shop owner, Mrs Barbara N’Drihin, “I have not experienced any issues with record keeping since using mobile merchants. The transaction reports are updated end of day making it easy for me to reconcile the daily takings”. I would encourage other businesses to utilize this payment option as it is convenient and saves time with book keeping aspects of running a business.
The other merchant is located in the rural area of Aitape, in Lumi District - Sandaun Province (West Sepik). It is the the Melu Trading, an SME with limited access to basic infrastructure like banking services, affordable transport services, electricity and proper roads. Business owner Maggie Melu, stated, “Mobile payments is easy and convenient, we receive mobile payment receipts instantly and our customers also received their electronic receipt on their mobiles. We prefer this payment method because funds go straight to our BSP Account and there are no cash handling involved; no loss from my cashiers and you our rural customer can pay with a “wan-bang” (feature phone) or a smart phone as long as mobile network is available”.
Melu Trading at Aitape, Sandaun Province.
Ms Melu said their aim was to empower their rural communities and encourage the growth of SMEs to take up entrepreneurial activities to alleviate poverty and income-source employment for community.
Similar to bankcards, EFTPoS machines or cash payments, BSP mobile payment has the potential to be the de-facto standard thanks to its changing technology and convenience, which it offers to businesses as well as customers.
Businesses interested in registering for the Mobile Merchant payment solution can contact BSP through email servicebsp@bsp.com.pg or call BSP 3201212 or 70301212.