Razer Fintech offers users free masks as incentive for e-payment at hawker stalls

RAZER's fintech arm, Razer Fintech, is offering customers an incentive of one free surgical mask per day between June 2 and Dec 31 when they make purchases of S$5 or more from Singapore merchants via the Razer Pay app, it said on Wednesday.

In addition, it is also working with the authorities to supply these merchants, such as hawkers and small and medium-sized merchants, with free masks as the nation begins its phased reopening.

Razer's announcement comes a day after the government promised hawkers a bonus of S$300 per month, for five months, to encourage stallholders in hawker centres, wet markets, coffee shops and industrial canteens to use e-payments.

Razer Fintech chief executive Lee Li Meng said the company's free mask incentive aims to "drive consumers to support local businesses and to play a part in stimulating the economy", while taking precautions to minimise the risk of Covid-19 community spread.

Razer's masks can be redeemed at any of the company's 20 vending machines island-wide.

In light of the successful beta testing of its surgical mask vending machines in Singapore, Razer Fintech on Wednesday added that it is increasing the number of free masks to five per resident. It originally promised to distribute five million free masks via its vending machines.

A Razer Pay account is needed to use the machines, which also offer masks for purchase. Each user can get one free mask a month between June and October.

Razer Fintech said it "intends to keep increasing the number of free masks as the initial claims go smoothly and if production can be increased".

It also encouraged users to donate their free masks to those in need of additional protection, such as the elderly.

Hong Kong-listed Razer is working to expand its vending machine network in Singapore and plans to make other healthcare-related items available from the machines, it said.

The company set up an automated mask manufacturing line in Singapore in April, and earlier this month partnered precision plastic manufacturer Sunningdale Tech to double the facility's surgical mask production capacity to up to 10 million masks a month.

The gaming firm has been using its manufacturing facilities in China to produce surgical masks since March. Its Singapore facility addresses "the lack of high quality and reliably manufactured face masks in the market", Razer said in an earlier press statement.