Kenyan Ride-Hailing Service Little App Introduces NFC Payment Feature
Little App has rolled out Near Field Communication (NFC) payment feature for its drivers in Kenya in partnership with Visa and Absa Bank.
NFC is a wireless technology that enables communication between two electronic devices over a distance of four centimetres or less.
The collaboration among the three companies aims at streamlining and expediting payments on Little taxis by allowing drivers to accept card-based payments using Android smartphones, promoting efficiency.
Kamal Budhabatti, CEO of Little App said; “We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with Absa and Visa, two industry leaders in their respective domains.
“The introduction of the NFC payment feature reinforces our commitment to revolutionize convenience and efficiency within the ride-hailing industry. By incorporating Visa’s renowned expertise and Absa’s local insights, we are confident that this partnership will greatly enhance our users’ payment experience,” he added.
So how will this work? According to the company, once the driver has entered the transaction amount, place your contactless card directly under the driver’s phone, holding it briefly for a successful connection. Once you have completed the payment, wait for the confirmation, which will be displayed on your Little App. You can then confirm the successful payment with the driver.
The payment option leverages Absa’s Mobi Tap app solution which turns a smartphone into a point of sale (POS) allowing customers to simply tap their contactless debit or credit cards on the driver’s Android phone or tablet to make a payment.
On her part, Absa Kenya Business Banking Director Elizabeth Wasunna said;“With the Absa Mobi Tap App, drivers on Little will be able to accept payments on their phone from any debit, credit, or prepaid card, making it faster for consumers to transact while also assisting them in evolving with the latest payment trends.”
Little says this NFC feature has been thoughtfully designed to optimize payment experiences, improving overall transaction efficiency for Little App users and drivers alike. It will be available on the Little App across all participating cities starting today.
“Through this collaboration, any Little App driver can start accepting card payments on their NFC enabled smartphone without the need to purchase a separate (Point Of Sale) POS machine. We look forward to enabling all the drivers in the Little App ecosystem as we continue to expand access to digital payment options,” said Visa Kenya’s Country Manager, Eva Ngigi-Sarwari.
Little App is available in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Somalia, Senegal, Ghana, and India, and serves as a ride-hailing service, offering mobility, delivery, and payment solutions.