Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Efficient Online Payment System? Think Skrill


TWS||Nick Waigwa
 
Dori Friend begins the 10th Chapter of her E-Book, “Where The Big Dogs Roam”, with the following quotes, “Image is Everything”, “First Impressions Matter”, and “Perception is Reality”. 

In the same chapter  Friend notes, “Reputation can make or break individuals and companies.”
Reputation! Reputation! This a component that is ignored by some individuals and companies in the world where I reside.

You care less about your reputation and that of others? You simply need not to continue reading this post. I advise that you read something else.

I usually brush shoulders with some people when I expose their inability to protect their reputation.I write here because I am driven by the need to help the subjects here manage their reputation positively. No hard feelings.

I can now comfortably proceed to a point that I have purposed to put across because we are on the same wavelength and we have agreed that this is about building reputation.

For nearly a year now, I have been trying to understand the network marketing or direct selling business, and how people generate revenue from online freelance jobs. 

I have discovered that for one to receive payments online, or effect such it is almost a MUST to subscribe to an Online Payment System.

Online Payment Systems such as Skrill, are often linked to a subscriber’s electronic payment card. The electronic payment system plays a bridge’s role between the online payment system and the recipient’s or sender’s bank account. 

This digital solution is not as easy as it may sound. There are challenges that may arise. My first experience with an Online Payment System was in the last quarter of 2014. 

After months of soul searching, I signed up for a network marketing business whose product is travel. I would still recommend that you invest your time trying to understand how the travel club operates. 

Thus far, I have used a WorldVentures’ E-wallet, PayPal and the Skrill. 

The Nakumatt Global MasterCard

The person who succeeded to pitch and convince me to consider the travel network marketing business was very helpful. She counseled that I secure a MasterCard, as it would facilitate smooth remittance of membership fees and receipt of payments via the travel club’s E-wallet.

It was easier for me to have the old Nakumatt Card replaced with a MasterCard solution. The Nakumatt Global MasterCard is what they gave me. It is linked to an account at the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB). Whether Nakumatt does care about their reputation offline and online, is a story that their customer service and call center reps can narrate.

I tried effortlessly to understand why I could not access my cash in the Nakumatt Global MasterCard at some point. Not even my several visits to KCB customer service desk at KENCOM, Nairobi would get me a solution. 

I tried Nakumatt Nakumatt card centers along Moi Avenue, City Hall way and along the Thika road Super highway in vain.

The Nakumatt staff could not resolve an inch the concerns I had. I am still waiting for a Nakumatt Global Call Center rep who promised to give me a call over three months ago. This is what I call ignorance on the importance of reputation in the 21stcentury. 

I hope the Nakumatt will invest in upping their reputation management game. How I wish if I could access the little cash in the Nakumatt Global MasterCard with some interest or just a valid explanation as to what might have caused the hiccup, from a person who understands the system.

I hope the "the you need it, we've got it" does not  end up to literally mean they have everything including dysfunctional solutions. I know they can do better as they have always. In fact I hold high their reputation and that is why I have taken my quality time to put this staff online.Your good reputation should not be watered down by i simple challenge such as the one I have just highlighted.

PayPal Online Payment System

My next quick review is about PayPal. PayPal is very good. I admire their customer relations. I however had a problem accessing some cash that I had received as payment for an online voice talent job that I had completed. 

The job had been awarded through Odesk.com. By the way Odesk was recently re-branded to Upwork. The Upwork’s payment procedure is prompt. The only challenge for freelancers in Kenya who opt to receive dues via PayPal, is that they must be holders of Equity Bank accounts. 

I was compelled to transfer the cash from my PayPal account to a friend’s PayPal account. I received the cash after six months.  To avoid wasting time and money, make sure you have an Equity Bank account if you plan to use PayPal for your online transactions.

My suggestion to PayPal, diversify. Having services accessible to clients in Kenya through a single bank is very limiting. I know the Equity bank would love to control that market share but at the same time, I don’t think it would be harmful for other banks within Kenya to activate towards facilitating easy access to money that is wired to recipients in Kenya through PayPal.


Skrill is one Online Payment System that I would recommend to you if you are seriously interested in receiving or making payments online. 

When I discovered that part of the money that I had been paid for the assignment on upwork.com would take long to reach my pocket, I signed up for a Skrill account

The money got to my pocket in less than three days and there were no complications with linking up the Skrill account to my Visa Card and bank account. I like the skrill’s flexibility and speed.
Recently, I discovered that if you are in Kenya, you could link your Skrill account with a Safaricom MPESA account. This does make the work much easier. It is indeed another intrinsic reason why you should highly consider signing up for a Skrill Online Payment Solution now.

It is true that the digital revolution is taking the developing world by storm, but only those who are willing to move with the times are going to benefit from this revolution. 

Working with online solutions that have analogue tendencies would easily place one at the highest risk of missing the vessel to the land of success presented to us by technology advantage.

E&OE      

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