FlexPay Applied sciences is a Kenyan fintech out to allow customers to afford merchandise that will have in any other case been out of attain for them.
The startup permits clients to buy at associate retailers, reserve merchandise and pay over a time period, at no added price. It initially partnered with a Kenyan retailer throughout launch however scaled in 2020, and has up to now grown its service provider community to 600. This variety of associate retailers is ready to develop additional because the startup, which is a part of the 2023 Startup Battlefield 200 cohort, widens its “save now, purchase later” choices.
“We wish FlexPay to be like an energetic checking account in that when a shopper just isn’t paying for retail merchandise, they’re saving and paying towards a trip, and even faculty charges,” mentioned FlexPay co-founder and CEO Richard Muchomba, including that the startup is within the strategy of sealing partnerships that may permit its customers to e-book and pay for flight tickets and lodges.
That is a part of its continued technique to retain clients and follows the introduction of its preliminary product dubbed FlexPay Targets, for customers with set financial savings ambitions; FlexPay Chama, which allows teams to avoid wasting collectively; and Mama Prime, for maternity care financial savings.
Its clients enroll via the app or its associate retailers (together with offline ones) to start making funds. Internet buyers entry FlexPay as a cost choice throughout checkout.
“Offline retailers register clients by way of USSD, and in a method, store homeowners have turn out to be our brokers,” mentioned Muchomba, who co-founded the startup with Johnson Gituma (COO).
Prospects make an preliminary deposit via FlexPay and pay the rest over a predetermined interval.
“We don’t set the variety of installments or particular quantities clients ought to make, however within the retail trade, most retailers permit funds inside three months. Cost time adjustments relying on the trade; for the journey trade, it may be as much as one yr,” he mentioned, including that its success price is 96%.
FlexPay will get a 5% fee for each services or products bought via its platform. It claims to have served over 200,000 clients to this point, a quantity that’s set to develop after its incoming launches in Uganda and Nigeria.
FlexPay’s “save now, purchase later” mannequin is not like the credit-driven purchase now, pay later (BNPL) mannequin that costs curiosity and requires clients to have a great credit score rating to qualify.
“The explanation individuals are shopping for merchandise utilizing FlexPay is as a result of this mannequin has historically been there. We simply digitized it. Folks can’t afford to purchase high-ticket objects at one off and we expect the pay later mannequin is a greater methodology for the African market,” mentioned Muchomba.
“Behind the scenes, we’re amassing the information we plan to make use of in constructing financing merchandise which might be inexpensive and sustainable.”
FlexPay has to this point raised $785,000, backed by quite a few traders, together with the Acacia Group (previously the Cairo Angels Syndicate Fund), LoftyInc, Knowledgeable Dojo, Google Black Founders Fund, and Renew Capital.