Thawani launches innovative ePayment platform for customers
The revolutionary new ePayments solution offers a safe, simple, and highly secures alternative payment method to cash, credit and debit cards
MUSCAT: Thawani, an innovative mobile ePayment start-up founded in Oman, launched its new payment platform at a VIP launch ceremony held on May 1 at the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort in Muscat.
The revolutionary new e-payments solution offers a safe, simple, and highly secures alternative payment method to cash, credit and debit cards.
The launching ceremony was held under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Taimur bin As’ad bin Tariq Al Said - Assistant Secretary General for Communications at the Scientific Research Council, and was attended by Majid Al Amri, managing director of Thawani, Thawani development team, together with invited dignitaries and guests.
Commenting on the launch of the new ePayments platform, Al Amri noted, “Our new Thawani app is set to revolutionise the way payments are made in Oman. Everything from its set-up and creating an account, to using the app on a day-to-day basis has been designed around simplicity. Our aim with this app was to introduce a new alternative payment method that would not only be really simple to use but one that would always work, help people budget better, while adhering to the highest standards of security; both for customers and retailers alike.”
Compatible with Android and Apple iOS mobile platforms, Thawani is an easy payment solution that takes away the complexity of remembering multiple pins and passwords all the while keeping banking information completely private. In order to activate the app, a user need only download the app from the respective app store and create an account, entering all relevant payment information they would like to be linked to the app. Once that is done, users can freely enjoy the unique features of the app, each of which has been designed towards making payments simple and secure.
Making payments is extremely simple with Thawani; for in-store purchases, simply scan a retailer’s QR code at the store and complete the payment process. If a retailer is located elsewhere, you can use their registered mobile number to pay regardless of where they may be located. For remote orders, the retailer need only send you a WAYYAK payment request and the transaction is completed in a few easy and simple steps. In addition to simple payments, the app offers a number of other benefits as well such as the ability to automate regular bill payments as well as offering a safe alternative for when physical cash is not on hand.
For retailers using Thawani, the advantages are twofold. Primarily, the low transaction fees for taking Thawani payments are extremely attractive. In addition, retailers who choose Thawani gain other benefits, including checkouts being made much faster thanks to a quick and seamless payments process, resulting in higher conversion rates and generating extra revenue for the business. Less cash handling also minimises human error and means staff can focus on customer interactions.
The mobile optimisation of the app ensures a superior smartphone shopping experience for customers, even if the retailer’s site is not optimised to do so. The app also has the benefit of providing a digital record of individual customer purchases; contributing towards smarter stocktaking as well as providing an array of location-based and cross-sell opportunities with complimentary items. Furthermore, refunds and transactions can be viewed and validated through one portal.
“In addition to these benefits, as with the consumer variant of the app, merchants will also be able to automate bill payments. Furthermore, as a merchant, you can send payment requests directly to your customers using mobile invoices and they can accept and pay with one tap,” added Al Amri.
Security has always been one of the most important aspects during the development of the app. As a result Thawani is fully compliant with the latest local and international standards for data integrity and secure encryption.
The platform is PCI-DSS compliant while the application itself is PA-DSS compliant. Moreover, Thawani adopts very serious controls for fraud management, risk management, and anti-money laundering activities.
“Information privacy was also a key pillar in the development of the app’s security and privacy matrix. As such, Thawani users and merchants are not required to share any card, bank or account information to make a transaction. All they need to be able to pay or be paid is their mobile phones and their Thawani Account.
"In addition, all sales terminals have been tested and audited, transactions are logged by geolocation for ease of tracking, all communication between the app and the server are securely encrypted, and Thawani’s own security experts constantly monitor transactions and flag any suspicious activity,” added Al Amri.