Bereng Mpaki
ECONET Telecom Lesotho (ETL) has simplified Ecocash payments by integrating them with different businesses’ point-of-sale (POS) devices.
The innovation is meant to enhance customer convenience, the company said this week.
Instead of following the lengthy, traditional Ecocash payment approach, customers can now pay for their goods and services by supplying their Ecocash numbers at the pay point before confirming payment by entering password on their handsets.
The customers’ mobile number is fed into the POS device which at the end of the transaction produces a till slip.
Enrich Store in March this year became the pioneer of the integrated EcoCash POS system.
Unveiling the integration this week, ETL’s Ecocash services general manager, ‘Matikoe Letsie, said the new payment method was shorter and would reduce chances of fraud during the payment process due to the customer’s till slip.
She said fusing POS devices with the Ecocash payment system was in line with the government’s call to promote the usage of digital platforms in transacting amid the need to adhere to Covid-19 regulations.
“We are moving away from the traditional way to the digital way,” Ms Letsie said.
“The integrated system will be helpful to retailers because it will allow faster cash reconciliation. The slip will reduce any likely fraud during the payment process.”
Currently, participating businesses are KFC, Stadium Fast Foods, Barcelos Pioneer, Galitos Kingsway, Café What, Sefalana Liquor and Office National among others.
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She said the service would soon be available to more businesses as they were currently in talks with filling stations, pharmacies, other liquor stores and bed and breakfast establishments, among others.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg since our intention is to partner with more shops in the same manner. Our purpose is to offer convenience, increase security by reducing cash handling and limit fraud at the shops.”
While making payments with EcoCash is not new, the experience will now be different because customers do not go through the ‘pay merchant’ menu on their mobile phones, she said.
Speaking on behalf of participating businesses, ‘Matlhokomelo Setlaba, from KFC welcomed the new service saying it would benefit their businesses.
“I’m impressed by the speed of service and this will be beneficial to some of our enterprises which thrive on fast service. The service will especially come in handy for payment in our delivery service to reduce cash handling and possible fraud,” Ms Setlaba said.
ETL is working in partnership with Pay Lesotho, an information technology firm, which supplied the software for the POS system.
