Supporting digital payments is the way to inclusive growth

IN THESE Covid-19 times, with movement restrictions in place, digital services have become a lifeline to millions across South-east Asia, helping consumers continue accessing essentials like groceries and medication while keeping the lights on for many businesses.

The critical enabler at the heart of this new normal is digital payments, which are keeping regional economies ticking by facilitating business and consumer activity amid the lockdowns. To a consumer, they are fast, convenient and typically used at no additional cost. Prior to Covid-19, businesses that adopted digital payments had already experienced the benefits of convenience, efficient payments processing and increased customer engagement.

With strict stay-at-home directives to reduce the spread of the virus, people are now opting for online food, grocery and parcel deliveries, and this has made businesses more aware that adopting digital payments is vital to support their order flow in this time of crisis.