Expresspay is a system with some undeniable advantages compared to its analogs. This is not ordinary payment system, which you have accustomed to, as Expresspay is a system that combines three products - payment terminals, online payments and e-wallet, compared to existing systems in Azerbaijan.
There are several payment systems in Azerbaijan, some of them have only terminals, others have only mobile applications or websites. Expresspay, unlike those systems, combines all of these features. Additionally, the main advantage of our system is to return of change generated during payments. Thus, the outstanding balance during the payment is accumulated on a special account and allows the customer to use them in the future payments.
- Ali bey, when you entered the market with this new payment system, there were already several payment systems that consumers were accustomed to. How difficult was it to gain the trust and commitment of users in such a situation?
- Competition in the market has always existed and will, although you have offered the product the first or third. We always try to pay attention to the quality of our service in the customer relationship. At the same time, we provide our customers with a wide range of online services of over 300 different types of online services, and as I mentioned earlier, we provide opportunity for return of change in the transaction process, although the providers do not provide advance payment during payment. People are always in the expectation of high service and favorable conditions from providers. From our side we are trying to fulfill the expectations of each of them.
- You mentioned that one of the most important advantages of the Expresspay terminal is the return of change. Let's talk about this a little bit further. In general, how does this process occur?
- For example, the amount you pay at the terminal is 4 AZN, but you pay the bill with 5 AZN, resulting in 1 AZN change. Exprespay provides you with the opportunity to use this amount in your next installment, unless your service provider is providing an advance payment.
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of existing payment systems in our country? You have foreign experience and you can compare it.
- Compared with similar projects in other countries, I can say that online payment systems in our country are one of the best in both terms of security and functionality.
The scope of services offered abroad to users through terminals is not wide, and in addition during some payments customers are charged high commission fees, so eventually terminals do not become a useful tool for the users, and thus it lessens the interest.
In our country there are professional programmers with sufficient skills and knowledge to successfully perform such projects. It's also gratifying that every year, as the interest of young people in the field of information technology increases, the number of those programmers grows steadily.
- Is it clear that we will be a witness of Expresspay daily growth?
- Obviously, we do not stop at our place. At present, we have developed an active mobile payment application, a web site, a large platform for online payments, e-wallet for non-card users, as well as 700 terminals installed in the country for customers' use at accessible points. At the same time, we are working hard to increase the number of services offered.
Soon, we are preparing to present a new project together with Expressclub within another product of the bank. In parallel, we are working on delivering exciting services that are unparalleled in the country market, to customers, but I will not talk about it in detail. Let this be a little surprise.
- Now we reached a very interesting point. If we cannot talk much about the new product, let's talk about the Expressclub. What are the benefits of this service for users?
- Expressclub card is another product of Expressbank that combines all our cardholders. The service allows you to earn up to 20% cashback at more than 700 points of sale. Being a member of the club is both comfortable and profitable. For your information, Expressclub has recently introduced a new mobile app. With this app users can track their earned cahsbacks, get information about new companies joined to partners and their special campaigns.
- Return to our Expresspay related talk. Why there was no willing to offer such privilage to the bank's clients?
- To be honest, we never had such a goal before us. Our goal was to create a product, that anyone having no bank account and even including people who do not have a plastic card, could use it. Expresspay users can make payments with card of any bank, even at our terminals, and using e-wallet can open and increase balance of your account, make payments without any card.
By the way, this is an important advantage of the e-wallet. This allows you to make online payments without a card from your mobile phone or computer.
- Expresspay terminals are also expanded in regions along with Baku. Is there any further expansion in the future?
- It depends on the needs of users and customers. We try to place terminals in strategic and convenient locations for our customers. Installation of the terminals is quite operative. The installation takes place within 3-5 working days when the need arises.
- Thank you for an interesting interview. We wish you new interesting projects and successes!
