Russian watchdog Rospotrebnadzor as well as the WHO have warned about the dangers of using cash and plastic cards during the coronavirus pandemic. Soon after, major Russian retailers and delivery services agreed that their customers would have to prepay their orders through websites and apps. Wildberries, Lamoda, Sportmaster, Leroy Merlin, M.Video, Eldorado, AliExpress, Ozon, Svyaznoy, Avito, Boxberry, DPD, PEK and many other Russian companies joined the agreement.
This new reality put small and medium-sized enterprises at risk. Their customers usually prefer paying for the goods upon delivery. For those who make an order for the first time, it is especially important to make sure that the product is of proper quality and was not damaged during transportation. With complete prepayment now mandatory due to the current reality, small companies risk losing potential buyers.
To accommodate these conflicting factors, the virtual bank TalkBank is launching a new service that will help stores and delivery services accept online payments upon delivery instead of cash payments – a remote payment will protect all participants in the transaction. Users can connect to it free of charge on the bank’s website within one business day.
Thanks to the new TalkBank service, delivery persons will no longer have to accept cash or use card terminals. The money will be automatically transferred to the seller’s account. Customers are also encouraged to use cashless payments as a safe measure during the pandemic.
The TalkBank solution will be appreciated by clients of small and medium-sized businesses. Customers will be able to pay for their orders upon delivery and will not have to worry about the contents, possible damage or whether the order will arrive at all. It is a big advantage, given that many delivery services and couriers are currently overburdened. With TalkBank, customers will avoid situations when the order has been paid for, but they have to wait for it because the delivery was postponed due to unforeseen circumstances. At the same time, it will be possible to pay for the order upon delivery using a cashless payment option.
“We know what hardships are small and medium-sized businesses are facing now. Our new service completely replaces cash with online payment options upon delivery. It is aimed at supporting small companies and helping them earn trust and loyalty of their clients and B2B players. I’m sure that together we will overcome the current difficulties,” said founder and CEO of TalkBank.io Mikhail Popov.
TalkBank is Russia’s first virtual bank that offers comprehensive banking services and operates via messengers. Chatbots help clients apply for bank cards and receive them, undergo person identification and make online monetary transactions.