Kenyans Can Now Pay For Amazon Purchases Via Western Union
Kenyans can now pay for purchases on e-commerce platform Amazon through Western Union. The newly launched payment option will now be accessible to clients who have been excluded from making their purchases via the platform due to unaccepted payment methods like credit cards.
The new mode of payment is currently available in 10 countries namely; Chile, Columbia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Peru, Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand. The inventive will now make it possible for Kenyans to pay using their local currency.
“We’re helping to unlock access to Amazon.com for customers who need and want items that can only be found online in many parts of the world,” said Khalid Felleahi, SVP and General Manager of Western Union Digital in a press release.
The move by Amazon to provide a convenient payment option for Kenyans is part of a new initiative called amazon PayCode which aims at providing easier payment options for clients who do not have access to international credit cards.
The PayCode processes the complex foreign exchange, settlement and money movement requirements for international and e-commerce transactions.
To use the new payment service, customers should visit the Amazon.com page and select PayCode. They will then be sent a code and instructions on how to make the payment at a Western Union agent.
Millions of customers across the world have for a long time been hindered from shopping on international e-commerce platforms owing to the inaccessibility of acceptable and convenient payment options.
Forester Research had earlier estimated that cross-border shopping would make up to 20% of e-commerce by 2022, with sales reaching USD 630 Bn. The new initiative will increase the number of online purchases from the current 1.66 billion people annually.
Featured Image Courtesy: Western Union