By Prince Osuagwu
The African fintech space is teeming with countless digital payment apps, but cashless payments are still not as efficient as expected.
Customers in different countries, including Nigeria, are still frustrated by various payment points. Various industry stakeholders have advocated for more players with strong innovative skills in order to fill the gap and meet the long-awaited aspirations of the growing client base on the continent.
By the way, a new fintech startup in Nigeria, Airoplay, has stepped forward, claiming to have what it takes to plug the loopholes. Airopay is a payment infrastructure solution that allows its users, both individuals and companies in Africa and around the world, to carry out transactions locally and internationally from their mobile devices.
Airopay is designed as a comprehensive application that allows users to make payments when they are at home or abroad. It gives them the ability to pay bills directly in Nigeria, make transfers, and also receive cash regardless of their geographic location. The only selling point of the app is that the services are at super fast speed, all from a mobile phone.
Airopay CEO Charles John Oyakhilome said the idea of the app is to digitize payments in Africa and beyond, adding that “the ultimate goal of the brand is to make cross-border mobile payments very easy.”
Furthermore, the Director of Strategy and Business Growth, Kelechi Mbah said: “Airopay has many unique services to offer in the Fintech space, as we are prepared to ensure an easier life. While the market may seem saturated, there are still many gaps that Airopay has carefully designed to fill its services. Additionally, the Airopay app is configured to provide the general public with a unique experience of ease and speed for local and international fund transfers with zero percent downtime. “
He added that the platform will provide economic empowerment for entrepreneurs, merchants and retailers. With the Airopay app, users can take advantage of instant online and mobile-based unsecured loans and save money with an interest rate of up to 16 percent per year.
Although not relatively new, Airopay has come up with new ideas to make cashless payment innovative. Its Mobile Money service supports deposits and withdrawals, including cardless ATM withdrawals, transfers between accounts, domestic remittances, deposits to third-party accounts or unregistered users, payment of utility bills, purchase of airline tickets for local flights and international, international and local. Airtime recharge, tuition payment for over 100 educational institutions, local and international fund transfers, bill pay for gambling, lottery and gaming with zero percent downtime.
Other services include the termination of international remittances to the wallet, retail and business payments supported by QR code and the registration of any payment card in the end-user application for recharge and retail payment systems supported by QR code.
Chief Financial Officer Mr. Adedayo Johnson said: “Our users will enjoy an unbeatable 16 percent interest rate on savings, access to 24-hour loans and bill payment transactions, unlike what the public has experienced in general”.
Established in 2014, Airopay systems were developed to include multiple layers of transaction security for user peace of mind.
The Airopay brand was officially launched on the Nigerian market on November 24, 2020 and signed popular actor and politician Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) as a brand ambassador.
