Hike, the instant messaging service, is in discussions with some giant e-commerce majors and mobile apps, including Amazon, Flipkart, Uber, Ola, and Zomato, for incorporating its wallet service as a payment choice.
The wallet service rolled out by Hike in last week will also be accessible for making payments offline or payments to brick and mortar stores via the app as soon as the government-supported communications are ready for accepting payments. Previously, media had reported a few months ago that the firm was devising to roll out an e-wallet.
“Banks would start using QR codes with vendors at the end of 2017, when the Unique Payment Interface-ready QR codes will be ready, then Hike will straightly operate with the vendors, which is the way we wish to take offline payments too,” CEO of Hike Messenger, Kavin Bharti Mittal, told the media.
The home-made messaging app, supported by Foxconn and Tencent, is aiming to overhaul WhatsApp, the messaging service, and Paytm, the mobile wallet company, to become the best and top payment and messaging app in India. WhatsApp is said to be operating on making an entry in digital payment services later in 2017.
Mittal referred to the nation-wide propagation of BharatQR, a common QR code designed by National Payment Corporation of India along with giant card network companies Visa and MasterCard, which once installed, will permit consumers with credit or debit cards to shell out straightly from their smartphone, via just a scan.
The move by the government with the private industry is targeted at elevating digital business in India. Hike is also striving towards making the application a familiar platform for digital transactions of all types, a prototype that is same to WeChat messaging app of China, which is possessed by Tencent—Hike’s investor. “We are in discussion with everyone all the time and knowing the likes of Amazon, Flipkart, Uber, Ola, BookMyShow, and Zomato. We have laid down the groundwork of payments and we are absolutely having those talks,” Mittal said.
In short, Hike is all set to make its entry in the digital payment world and is ready to turn out to be a dominant player.
