Grace Ashiru
Telkom, the largest integrated communications company in South Africa, has started using the Chat 2 Pay feature from Clickatell, the leader in Chat Commerce and business messaging. Millions of Telkom customers can now pay with WhatsApp, the most popular chat app in the country.
Telkom now offers its customers the Chat 2 Pay pay-by-link feature in WhatsApp, which lets them make safe and easy mobile payments. This is in response to the growing demand for fast, digital, self-help services. Telkom customers who are either postpaid or prepaid can pay their phone and xDSL/fiber bills and buy airtime, data, and SMS bundles by sending “Hi” to 0811 601 700 on WhatsApp.
The Telkom chatbot helps customers with their mobile phones by looking at their accounts and billing information. It also lets them look at sales deals, check for mobile or fiber upgrades, cancel services, request the phone book, and do other things. With Chat 2 Pay, customers can quickly and easily use their Mastercard, Visa debit, and credit cards to pay bills and add money to their VAS.
User behavior has changed, and businesses are making more and more money through digital channels. But if customers have to pay through a different channel, it breaks up the customer journey. According to Werner Lindemann, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Sales at Clickatell for Growth Markets, it makes it hard for companies to make sales.
“Payments in chat give telcos the tools to help their customers pay quickly and safely in a channel they already know and trust, significantly improving customer experience and revenue.
The payment process is straightforward with Chat 2 Pay. Customers of Telkom can transact by simply making a menu selection to initiate a payment request. The customer is then sent a link via WhatsApp message. They are taken to a fully hosted checkout page when clicking the link. The customer can then securely enter payment information and submit, receiving payment and receipt confirmation in a chat message.
“Telkom is always looking for ways to improve our customers’ digital experiences,” said Telkom CMO Gugu Mthembu. “Our digital channels are essential for future delivery.” “Chat 2 Pay helps us improve our payment and collection channels. Also, the fact that VAS services are easy to use and get to should bring in more money..”
93% of conversations on Clickatell’s Chat Commerce Platform lead to transactions. This makes Chat Commerce, which includes Chat 2 Pay, beneficial for telcos that want to find new ways to make money and improve their efficiency. Chat Commerce doesn’t just meet the needs of your customers; it also meets the needs of a lot of your shareholders,” said
