DavaoPlus: [New post] BillEase expands 0-interest Buy Now Pay Later option in the Philippines

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BillEase expands 0-interest Buy Now Pay Later option in the Philippines

by Conviron Altatis

BillEase is a flexible and transparent alternative to credit cards and e-wallets and its expansion of its interest-free Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) service now includes a short-term installment offering for customers in the Philippines. The BNPL provider is aiming to help more online retailers drive conversion, revenue and customer loyalty without taking on any risk amid the increase in market demand for zero-interest payment plans.

With the new offering, online retailers can now allow their customers to split payment for purchases between 1,000 pesos and 25,000 pesos or more with the first payment (25 pesos) due at the time of transaction and the rest (75 pesos) in three bi-weekly installments. For example, a 10,000-peso purchase would only cost 2,500 pesos every two weeks with the first 1/4 paid upfront, no interest while merchants get paid in full upfront.

For smaller purchases, customers can also select to pay later on their next payday or 10-20 days for any purchase below 1,000 pesos at zero interest. The addition of short-term payment plans allows a merchant to increase customer loyalty as well as boost customer purchasing power, resulting in increased transaction sizes and higher order values.

"We are thrilled to announce the extension of our Buy Now, Pay Later product with shorter, more flexible payment options providing merchants a card-free installment solution to their customers," First Digital Finance Corporation (FDFC) chief executive officer Georg Steiger said. "The shopping landscape continues to change at a rapid pace and BillEase has evolved its proven and cost-effective shopping optimization tool at checkout to meet the needs of online retailers and consumers alike."

Steiger co-founded FDFC, which operates the BNPL app. He explained, "We see a major consumer trend in the Philippines today, a shift from cash and card transactions to digital native products like e-wallets."

"However, e-wallets require customers to pre-fund their balance," Steiger continued. "At BillEase, we offer instant credit that is hassle-free for consumers to use online and then pay over time. This is why we're expanding our interest-free offering to empower more shoppers by allowing them to pay on their own terms with no hidden fees and no surprises."

"For merchants, finding new ways to grow revenue without taking on any risk is really important," Steiger added. "We're offering the exact solution that they're looking for to acquire new customers and to encourage loyalty as customers are more likely to purchase and repeat purchase at merchants that offer interest-free installments at checkout."

The BNPL service is completely card-free and does not require customers to sign up for a credit or a debit card. Customers only need to provide one valid identification card when signing up and get instant approval to complete their purchase. Customers are shown the actual amounts including the exact date of installments and a disclosure statement at the checkout before completing their payment.

Moreover, BillEase is offering longer payment plans which allow consumers to pay monthly for large purchases and stretch their funds to increase buying power. Customers can select longer terms at merchant checkout and pay only 1/3 upfront and the rest over 3, 6, 9 or 12 months and depending on the merchant, longer term plans are either interest-free or come with an affordable interest rate.

For example, a 50,000-peso purchase would only cost 5,583 pesos over six months or only 2,792 pesos bi-weekly with only 1/3 upfront payment, no interest. The zero-percent installment option for longer terms will be available for select purchases or all products or services as decided by a merchant or the brand.

Launched in 2017, BillEase counts Lazada, Mandaue Foam, Anson's, Western Appliances, Primer Group of Companies, Terry SA, United Limsun, Concepcion Industrial Corporation, Kimstore, JBL, Harman Kardon, Audio Refinery, Kidscompany, Airpaz, and Maria Health among its hundreds of merchant partners. FDFC is also leveraging its strategic partnerships with major payment processors such as Xendit, Paynamics, Dragonpay, 2C2P, and UBX Philippines' Bux, whose merchants can easily add BillEase through a single integration or a few lines of code, to boost the company's merchant ecosystem and increase consumer adoption of BNPL in the Philippines.