STAR BUSINESS DESK

Banglalink has joined hands with bKash and City Bank to offer the “Pay Later” service to their customers in order to make smartphones more affordable.

Under this agreement, customers will be able to avail City Bank’s loan-based collateral free “Pay Later” option through the bKash app to purchase smartphones from Banglalink centres and its smartphone partner brand outlets with bKash merchant accounts.

Erik Aas, chief executive officer of Banglalink, Ali Ahmmed, chief commercial officer of bKash, and Md Arup Haider, head of retail banking of City Bank, inaugurated the service at the mobile operator’s head office in Dhaka recently, read a press release.

The new partnership will enable customers to transition from 3G or 2G devices to a 4G smartphone.

Eligible customers will receive a loan of up to Tk 30,000 at zero percent interest, provided it is repaid within 7 days. Customers will also be able to buy smartphones in three to six-month instalments with 9 percent interest per annum.

“We have launched a very important initiative in the building Bangladesh towards digital transformation. With the simple steps, Banglalink customers will find smartphone purchase very affordable,” said Aas.

“bKash will continue to work with Banglalink and all partners to ensure digital inclusion for customers by introducing innovative products that can cater to the needs of a vast customer base,” said Ahmmed.

Haider tipped the “Pay Later” service as a perfect example of innovation executed together with multiple partners in the ecosystem and said it will add significant value to customers’ lives.

“Today, the robust technology and framework built by bKash and City Bank has taken banking services like loans and savings to a larger number of customers,” he added.

Among others, Upanga Dutta, chief commercial officer of Banglalink, and senior officials from the three organisations were also present.