SINGAPORE: MC Payment, a homegrown fintech player, announced the soft launch of Instapay, a B2C payment platform targeting Indonesian Small-Medium Enterprises market. Instapay enables merchants and their customers to simplify payment transactions, by using social messaging apps such as Whatsapp and Line to facilitate payments. Approximately 1000 merchants have signed up and utilised the payment services to date.
Instapay is a mobile application that provides businesses with the ability to invoice their customers via social media and accept various payment methods. It can be performed quickly, easily, securely, anytime and anywhere. Instapay can help small business owners expand into international markets and accept international credit cards. It can also accept credit card payments without website integration or EDC machine.
PT MCP Indo Utama (MC Payment’s Indonesia division) Country Director Mr Valerino Wijaya said: “MC Payment has identified pain points associated with payment processes in SMEs. This includes inability to monitor and accept a wide range of payment channels. Instapay provides an easy mobile-based solution that directly solves these problems so businesses can focus on what they do best.”
Many industries look to benefit from the convenience offered by Instapay. The wedding industry for instance has many sole-proprietor businesses such as florists and tailors who will benefit. Similarly, small retailers selling shoes and fashion accessories online as well as small-to-medium hotels and villas in the tourism industry will benefit from the enlarged consumer market size.
This is in tandem with Indonesia’s “Ayo UMKM Jualan Online” (Let SMEs Sell Online) campaign, which is aimed at attracting and persuading SMEs across Indonesia to sell products via online marketplaces to increase profits and prosperity. Several government bodies that have taken part in the campaign include the Communications and Information Ministry, the Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry and the Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf). Six online marketplaces who were involved are: Blibli.com, Tokopedia, Bukalapak, Shopee, Lazada and Blanja.com.
The Indonesian government has set the goal of letting 8 million SMEs go online by 2020. As of 2017, there are a total of 59.26 million SMEs operated in Indonesia. However only 3.97 million SMEs were active online.
MC Payment’s Chief Executive Officer Mr Anthony Koh said: “MC Payment is pleased to strengthen our market presence in Indonesia with Instapay. Approximately 1000 Indonesia merchants signing with us, is a testimony of the platform accessibility and stability. Instapay enables small merchants to save time
without the hassle of going to a bank. At the same time, these small business owners will be able to manage their cashflows better.
“MC Payment will be rolling out supporting services like mobile micro financing and instalments for SMEs in the coming months. SMEs can get small loans approved within 24-hours using their mobile phones. We will keep the public updated in due course.”