South African mobile payments platform Zapper is teaming up with the payments and data API platform Stitch to enable Zapper’s more than one million customers to make secure instant electronic fund transfers (EFTs) payments at points of sale (POS).
The service will be available via Stitch’s LinkPay product which offers secure one-click Instant EFT payments from a linked financial account. Launched in April, LinkPay is the first payments solution in Africa that tokenises user financial accounts to enable one-click, verified payments and seamless payouts for returning customers.
Before the integration via Stitch’s LinkPay product, Zapper customers needed to log into their bank accounts to initiate payment each time before checking out at a Zapper merchant. Now they can make a payment instantly by scanning the Zapper QR code at the point of checkout and choosing to pay from their linked account.
To link an account in the Zapper app, customers select “Link an account” and select the option to set this as their preferred payment method. Then, they select their bank and log into their account using their online banking details. After authorising with multi-factor authentication (such as an in-app approval or OTP), their account will be linked. With this, they can make any future payments in just one click, without logging in again – just like they would with a linked card.
“With Stitch LinkPay, Zapper can provide a significantly better experience for customers paying via Instant EFT. Previously, to pay with instant EFT, they needed to log into their bank accounts every time they made a payment. Now, they can go immediately to the front of a coffee shop, scan a QR code and make a payment from their linked account in one click – meaning they can get on their way much faster. For merchants, when more customers choose to pay via Instant EFT, they’ll save on expensive card fees and fraud-related charges.” said Stitch CEO Kiaan Pillay.
For Zapper CEO Brett White, in the current economic climate, instant EFT also helps consumers keep a very tight rein on their balances.
“We also see this as another way we can help eliminate any barriers to payment for our merchants, who also need every advantage in this economy,” he added.
Stitch launched in February 2021 and is live with its payments and financial data API in South Africa and Nigeria. The firm recently raised $21 million in Series A funding.
