Facebook in talks over mobile money in Indonesia
Three Indonesian digital fintech firms are working with Facebook to apply for regulatory approval to launch mobile payments in the country, an official at the financial regulator said.
The plan, if approved, could be among the first under the social media firm’s unified payment service, Facebook Pay, which it unveiled in November. Users across its various platforms, including WhatsApp and Instagram, can make payments without exiting the app.
Bank Indonesia assistant governor Filianingsih Hendarta, who heads payment system policy, told Reuters that three local firms had approached the regulator to ask about tentative approval for a payments partnership with Facebook.
“So far no-one submitted the formal application. Some of them just came to discuss during the consultative meeting with Bank Indonesia,” Hendarta said.
She said the three e-wallet operators are Indonesian ride hailing firm Gojek’s GoPay; fintech start-up OVO, which is owned by Indonesian conglomerate Lippo Group and is also backed by Singapore-based ride hailing firm Grab; and statebacked LinkAja.
Four sources with knowledge of the matter said Facebook wants to capitalise on the Indonesian market and is preparing for regulatory approval in the country.
Reuters reported in August that Facebook’s WhatsApp had been in talks with these firms to launch digital payment services in Indonesia.
A spokesperson for Facebook said the company is seeking to bring digital payments to more countries and believes “digital payments will ... open up extraordinary opportunities for businesses to grow”.
INDONESIA IS ONE OF THE LARGEST MARKETS GLOBALLY FOR FACEBOOK AND WHATSAPP, WITH MORE THAN 100-MILLION USERS
She added: “We are in conversations with partners in Indonesia. However, the discussions are ongoing and we do not have anything further to share at this stage.”
OVO CEO Jason Thompson said: “As an open ecosystem platform, we’re always seeking new partnerships to increase cashless transactions ... including with Facebook.”
Gojek declined to comment. LinkAja was not immediately available for comment.
Facebook is keen to accelerate its expansion in Southeast Asia. Indonesia, home to 260million people and the region’s largest economy, is one of the largest markets globally for Facebook and WhatsApp, with more than 100-million users.
Facebook is also in separate talks to partner with Gojek, which counts Alphabet’s Google and Chinese e-commerce JD.com among its backers, two sources said.
“The talks could lead either to a strategic partnership, a collaboration or an investment,” one person with knowledge of the matter said. The talks, which predate the coronavirus outbreak, are at an early stage.
Elsewhere, Facebook has held talks to buy a multibilliondollar stake in Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries’ telecom unit, media reports said. Gojek declined to comment. Facebook referred Reuters to its general statement. Gojek has evolved from a ride-hailing service to a one-stop app offering online payments and food ordering.