Hello Pay partners AURA to Improve Armed Response to SMEs
Small business owners now have access to an armed response option thanks to a partnership between local on-demand security and medical response platform AURA and finance company Hello Pay. AURA’s extensive network of private security and medical response companies enables the service.
Hello Pay unveiled its Business Solution earlier this year. With the use of this software, SMEs can now access a variety of services, including loans and armed response. The fintech company claims in a statement that its package of business solutions, which includes the armed response option, is available to spaza stores, kasi traders, unregistered business owners, and SMEs throughout South Africa.
The partnership with AURA according to Zunaid Miya, managing director of Hello Pay provides a “trusted, market-leading” emergency response, motivated by the need to improve safety and free up merchants to concentrate on expanding their businesses. According to the announcement, merchants may request an armed or medical response whenever and wherever they need it with the push of a button on their smart device thanks to Hello Pay’s armed response solution, developed in partnership with AURA.
“As cash remains prevalent in the informal economy, offering an accessible point-of-sale solution already reduces the threat of crime. Hello Pay is pleased to take safety and security concerns a step further by giving merchants direct access to a digital security network.
“The safety and wellbeing of our merchant community is paramount. With emergency and armed response assistance, vetted private security will reach users within minutes. This added service is one of the many benefits for Hello Pay customers, allowing store owners to run their businesses with increased ease of mind,” notes Miya.
Earlier this year FNB launched an in-app panic button through a service called GuardMe. This service is powered by AURA and gives FNB customers access to medical or emergency services for just R19.90 per month.
Since its founding, AURA has experienced extraordinary growth. More recently, the company and OUTsurance formed a partnership to provide emergency services. Up to 5400 armed response policemen and 250 armed response service providers are part of the AURA network as of May. As the business expands, so will its network, and perhaps one day, as the corporation has always envisioned, every South African resident will have access to private protection.
According to AURA’s head of business development, Ryan Lurie, safety is a core human right, which is why AURA is committed to democratizing access to emergency response services. Lurie noted that partnering with Hello Pay levels the playing field for retailers and SMEs.