The COVID-19 health crisis has been very tough on businesses especially SMEs and micro-businesses. With the movement restrictions in place since the Government’s Movement Control Order (MCO) came into effect to contain the spread of the coronavirus, many micro- and small-business owners who run cash-based businesses faced the risk of shuttering due to the sudden drastic drop in customers as well as customers choosing to go cashless and limiting the use of bank notes as they sought cleaner and safer ways to transact.
To help micro- and small- cash-based businesses remain operating, homegrown and leading lifestyle e-wallet Boost has introduced the ‘Boost Payment Link’ – a low cost and accessible contactless solution for merchants. The payment link allows merchants to easily send their customers a payment link via any messaging app such as email, SMS or WhatsApp and receive payments conveniently anytime, anywhere. Customers can seamlessly make payments through the link without physically scanning a QR code. Merchants are also able to eliminate the need to invest in a Point-of-Sale (POS) or payment terminal, which can be costly or have a static QR code to accept payments.
This new feature from Boost allows traditional cash-based businesses to receive orders and payments online upfront before delivering their goods or services. It is effective for all types of retail businesses but would typically be useful for F&B as well as small grocery- or convenience stores during this CMCO period where customers are becoming more accustomed to ordering online and expecting home delivery services from the merchant.
“Contactless everything is now the new normal. The pandemic and MCO has changed the way businesses and consumers engage with each other digitally, moving away from face-to-face interactions. The ‘Boost Payment Link’ easily enables micro- and small- cash-based merchants to go cashless and protect their businesses with almost no investment required. All they need is a smartphone, a Boost account and data or WiFi connection. This is our way to help businesses build resilience and adapt with simple digital solutions and continue operating remotely, in a contactless manner that is also safer, cleaner and a more efficient way to do business amid the pandemic,” said Mohd Khairil Abdullah, CEO of Boost.
The ‘Boost Payment Link’ is available for all Boost merchants via their Boost Business Account. The payment link is found on the profile page. To share the payment link with customers, merchants have to click ‘Share My Business Payment Link’, enter the total amount customers are required to pay and then select which email or messaging app to share the link with the customer. Lastly, all customers have to do is click on the payment link received to make payment via Boost.
Since 2017, Boost has been paving the way for cashless transactions in Malaysia to enable businesses and consumers to seamlessly transact on a daily basis. To-date, Boost has the largest and fast-growing network of over 159,000 merchants nationwide with more than 7.4 million users and counting.