The e-commerce giant, Daraz has initiated another landmark project to make the customer experience seamless and hassle-free with dBills and dTravel; both digital payment solutions aimed at digitizing transactions. Mr. Riaz Ali, head of digital channel at Daraz Pakistan revealed more details about the initiatives:
Question 1: While utility payments is a new area for growth, digital bill payments are accessible to Pakistanis. What competitive advantage does dBills offer to customers?
dBills marks its competitive edge through enhancing customer experience by allowing users to pay their bills in a convenient and efficient manner by following three simple steps. We have designed the process to ensure that first-time users are able to use it seamlessly.
We are also offering customers a wide variety of digital payment options so that they can use their preferred medium i.e credit cards, debit cards, Daraz Wallet & also via payment solutions like Easypaisa & JazzCash, which no other similar billing platforms are providing to customers at the moment.
Daraz will also be offering customers exclusive offers, discounts on bank cards and vouchers etc.
Question 2: What challenges did Daraz face when launching this new channel? And what impact do you think this will have on the life of Pakistanis.
The primary goal when designing dBills was to create a trustworthy and reliable customer experience. For this purpose, as part of the process, we initiated an e-invoice which the customer receives as soon as the bill is paid as a proof of their utility bill payment.
Our vision is aligned with the GoP’s digital Pakistan initiative and focuses on increasing access and also creating a digital infrastructure. This is just the first step which Daraz has taken towards helping develop a digital economy.
Question 3: What are the challenges you foresee in this initiative particular keeping in view the Pakistani market and customers?
Even though Pakistan has a growing population that has converted to smart phones in the recent years, the majority of our total population is still not comfortable enough to trust e-commerce platforms and online payment solutions which stands as a major challenge for us. We are dedicated to playing our part in encouraging customers to convert to digital solutions and digital payment methods.
Question 4: Can you give us a brief introduction about dTravel and how you think the channel will bring convenience to users?
dTravel is another initiative which has been taken by Daraz for the consumers who travel by bus on a daily basis. The conventional method is that customer would go to an offline bus service center and book tickets whereas with dTravel we give the option to consumers to book tickets for themselves or anyone else, online. dTravel allows you to choose your travel routes from more than 20+ bus services, saving customer’s time and allowing the customers to make a smart choice based on pricing and other facilities.
Travel infrastructure in Pakistan is still in developmental phase and platforms like dTravel will not only provide convenience to routine travelers but also will benefit tourists coming in from around the globe to experience Pakistan.
Our plan going forward is to grow dTravel across verticals. We plan to launch all sort of verticals related to travel like flights, trains, cabs as well as hotel stays which will make dTravel your one stop travel solution with a variety of options, best prices & convenience
Question 5: Is Daraz planning to go further in airlines ticking and hotel bookings?
Yes, we do have plans to expand dTravel further into airlines and hotel booking platform.
Question 6: Keeping in view the ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic, what is your response from the customers?
The response we are getting from our consumers is outstanding and has exceeded our expectations. We have created digitals solutions that eliminate that need for customers to step out of their houses to complete their day-to-day tasks, not only offering them convenience but safety during these difficult times. With dBills, customers are no longer willing to stand in lines or visit banks to pay their bills as social distancing has become an essential now. Apart from this, customers now will also not have to stand in long lines to get the bus tickets as they have the option to purchase it online.