Telesure launches SME payment solution

The Telesure Group has launched a new financial business service Dashpay, certified by MasterCard and Visa. The service is aimed at delivering affordable and simple card payment solutions to SMEs.

Dashpay is specifically aimed at delivering affordable and simple card payment solutions to the small business (SME) retail sector with the objective of ensuring SME retailers are given a convenient choice when it comes to their customers’ card payment requirements.

According to Anton de Souza, Telesure Group Executive Director and MD of Telesure Financial Services: ‚”The Telesure Group has a strong history of delivering innovative services into the local market and given that the Group was the first in the market to deliver paperless and telephonic insurance: business insurance for SMEs and online quotes and claims: 24 hours a day with claim tracking abilities: our focus has always been to examine business models that ignite and disrupt the market, and Dashpay is no different.‚”

‚”Dashpay merchant services is an independent card payments business, focused solely on managing and processing the debit and credit card payment needs of SME retailers locally. Given our understanding of this sector and its financial requirements, Dashpay is a strong fit for the Group.‚”

‚”The Dashpay business model aims to make the payment process simpler, easier and more affordable for the SME sector.‚” says de Souza. ‚”As Dashpay is not a bank, but, rather in fact a SME themselves, it understands the challenges and the opportunities of this sector, and as a result have focused its offering on providing affordable value-for-money card acceptance, which is both safer and more convenient than cash.‚”

Continues de Souza, ‚”When we were approached with this opportunity, it was very important to the Group that this business understood the simplicity and innovation required to build lasting relationships with SME retailers locally. As a Group, we were examining a viable means to grow our financial service expertise and Dashpay filled this exact market requirement of simplicity, affordability and convenience, backed by the experience of the Telesure Group. For SME retailers that want to partner with a company that understands price sensitivities for card payments, no matter what type of product is used, then Dashpay has a strong proposition and offers a real alternative to the banking sector locally.‚”

‚”As a global technology leader in payment solutions, MasterCard’s vision is to create a world beyond cash. We understand the dynamics of the SME segment well, and have been at the forefront of introducing cashless payment solutions that effectively address the needs of the SME business owners, empowering them to grow within their respective industries,‚” says Philip Panaino, Division President, South Africa, MasterCard. ‚”Our certification of Dashpay in South Africa brings us one step closer to realising our global vision of a cashless economy.‚”

Additionally, Ingenico, a leading provider of payment solutions, has been chosen by Dashpay to deliver its latest range of wireless payment terminals to the local market. Says Jacques Behr (Ingenico EVP EMEA): ‚”With over 20 million terminals deployed in over 125 countries, we are delighted to deliver innovative and secure transaction solutions across all sales channels (in-store, mobile and on-line). Our partnership with Dashpay will bring with it our global experience and infrastructure, as well as our local support, which will enable more convenient channels to SA retailers.‚”

de Souza continues: ‚”Dashpay makes it easier for the SME retailer to manage its card payments by offering a self-service Web portal to easily check and reconcile daily transactions, freeing them up to concentrate on serving their customers during critical trading hour. As Dashpay is exclusively focused on the processing of debit and credit payments for the SME, the business is able to provide a holistic solution to this sector from deploying Point of Sale terminals, processing card transactions and crediting the bank account of the merchant, Dashpay will take complete care of a SME retailer’s card payments requirements.‚”

For small business retailers in South Africa looking to work with an organisation that provides convenience and affordability, the Dashpay service offering includes the integration of the Point of Sale device rental and connectivity cost into a single package.

The Point of Sale devices are all fully portable and GPRS enabled, allowing SME retailers to accept payments at any location where they transact with their customers. With a full technical support team on hand, customers can be assured of prompt assistance with any issues regarding their device. ‚”Dashpay have ensured that its service offering is not only available to any SME retailer who undertakes R10 000 card turnover per month to a total turnover of R10 million per year, but that these retailers can benefit significantly at the outset of utilising Dashpay,‚” says de Souza.

According to Mandy Lamb, acting General Manager for Visa in Sub Saharan Africa: Visa welcomes the opportunity that new providers entering the acquiring market bring in terms of increasing the merchant footprint where Visa cards can be accepted.

‚”Dashpay has the potential to unlock some of these market segments where cards have traditionally not been accepted and thus extending the card ecosystem in line with Visa’s vision the best way to pay and be paid for everyone, everywhere,‚” concluded Lamb.

‚”Dashpay is a strong business within the Telesure Group that is built around credible market partnerships both in South Africa and globally,‚” concludes de Souza. ‚”The Dashpay team is very focused on ensuring its promise of simple, affordable and convenient card payment solutions become a reality for SME retailers in South Africa and strongly complements the overall business approach and philosophy of the Telesure Group.‚”

* Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

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