Kiwis happy to shop via pago’s cashless service

Media Release
Monday 17 December 2007

Kiwis happy to shop via pago’s cashless service

- Pago service is growing by 200 customers a day

- It has attracted more than 15,000 customers in 12 months

- Christmas shoppers have boosted transactions by 300% in November

Christmas isn’t just a time the shop tills ring. Digital cash is flowing at an ever increasing rate with pago, New Zealand’s first mobile and online payment service.

More than 15,000 Kiwis had signed up for pago by November, and transactions jumped 300% on the previous month as Christmas spending boosted activity. With an average of 200 new customers a day, the Christmas upswing is strong endorsement for the New Zealand service which first launched just 12 months ago.

Pago allows customers to make digital cash payments to friends and families online or via their mobile phone. They can also shop online without a credit card.

“With a transaction cap of $200, the average pago transaction is around $22. Customers tell us anecdotally they’re paying other family members to organise Christmas presents for them, splitting the cost on gifts or using it to pay for gifts on Trade Me,” says Head of pago, Kylie Kneale.

Pago is an approved method of payment for goods and services on Trade Me, and this time of year is particularly popular for people wanting to source a bargain from the auction site.

“We’ve also developed our merchant capability since launching, and leading digital entertainment website, digiRAMA is now on board as our first merchant. The uptake has been excellent and we have many other interested merchants keen for a solution for their customers to use cash online, rather than a credit card.

“We know that there are over a million New Zealanders over the age of 15 who don’t have a credit card and many of them are internet users, so pago is a great solution.

“Pago has strong authentication to protect people’s online identity when shopping. Customers simply click that they wish to pay via pago, enter their pago name, and a code is then sent via either email or text message.”

Ms Kneale says pago expects the strong customer activity to continue over the summer holidays as people use the service to split costs on petrol, and other holiday activities.

ENDS

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