SINGAPORE, Sept. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Traveloka, Southeast Asia's lifestyle superapp, announced the launch of its Traveloka PayLater 'Virtual Card Number' today. Developed in partnership with one of the biggest financial institutions in Indonesia supervised by the Financial Services Authority (OJK) and Bank Indonesia, PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (BNI), the innovative payment method allows Traveloka PayLater users to buy now and pay later on supported e-commerce platforms outside of the Traveloka ecosystem using a 'Virtual Card Number'.
Traveloka, which pioneered the PayLater product in Indonesia, said its PayLater 'Virtual Card Number' comes with a 16-digit number, card expiration date, and Card Verification Value (CVV), similar to a credit card. Traditionally, e-commerce transactions require a credit card or other banking payment service, thereby excluding the unbanked and underbanked, who are unable to get a credit rating. With the 'Virtual Card Number', users can now use their PayLater credit determined on the Traveloka app and make online transactions with the option of installment payment methods – from interest rates as low as 2.25% per annum – on numerous e-commerce platforms such as Shopee, Lazada, JD.ID, Bukalapak, and Tokopedia. Users can consolidate and manage their PayLater account through the app, thereby enabling responsible financial management.
Caesar Indra, President, Traveloka, said, "A goal of our financial services offering has always been to advance financial inclusion, starting with our home market, Indonesia. Our new Traveloka PayLater 'Virtual Card Number' is a natural extension of our PayLater offering, which has already enabled millions of our users to access credit and fulfil their lifestyle aspirations. We believe that this innovative breakthrough will not only provide a safe and easy payment method for our users but also plug a gap by providing credit access to underbanked consumers in our largest market."
Traveloka's financial services serve as a powerful enabler for users to fulfill their lifestyle needs and aspirations. The launch of the Traveloka PayLater 'Virtual Card Number' is a demonstration of the brand's focus on financial services and products, while strengthening the company's commitment to financial inclusion. Since Traveloka launched PayLater in 2018, the company has seen the number of users increasing 7.5 times, reflecting strong demand for such financial services.
"We are seeing strong and growing demand from consumers across the region for fintech solutions that help increase consumers' access to financial services, which has continued to accelerate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our position as Southeast Asia's lifestyle superapp uniquely places us to take advantage of this growth and will continue to drive important innovations in the financial services space," Caesar added.
BNI also expressed its support for this latest innovation. "The 'Virtual Card Number' is an advanced payment method that allows consumers to transact online in a convenient way. This feature allows consumers to enjoy an easy and safe way to do online transactions utilizing a unique virtual card number instead of the usual credit card number," explained Corina Leyla Karnalies, Consumer Business Director, BNI.
According to Corina, the 'Virtual Card Number' offers plenty of benefits that can be utilized by companies or corporate partners. One feature is the provision of a different 'Virtual Card Number' for every online transaction, which adds an extra layer of protection, minimizing fraud risk and unauthorized usage. Corina also highlighted that the 'Virtual Card Number' is issued and delivered electronically in real-time and without an additional charge.
"Additionally, corporate partners can benefit from additional security, as it provides real-time notification integrated with email. Corporate partners are also able to access a comprehensive usage report, which makes it easier to carry out the reconciliation process. In the near future, other PayLater consumers can also enjoy these perks," Corina concluded.
The 'Virtual Card Number' also comes with an additional security layer compared to traditional credit cards. Users have to activate the 'Virtual Card Number' on the Traveloka app before it can be used. Once activated, the 'Virtual Card Number' is enabled for 15 minutes, and prevents unauthorized usage.
At launch, the 'Virtual Card Number' payment method will only be available to selected Traveloka PayLater users in Indonesia, with a usage limit in accordance with their PayLater credit limit. This will be expanded to more users at a later stage.
For more information, please visit https://www.traveloka.com/en-id/travelokapay/paylater in the 'Requesting a Virtual Number' section.
About Traveloka
Traveloka, Southeast Asia's lifestyle superapp, provides users access to discover and purchase a wide range of travel, local services, and financial services products. Traveloka's comprehensive product portfolio includes transport booking services such as flight tickets, bus, trains, car rental, airport transfer, as well as access to the largest accommodation inventory in Southeast Asia, including hotels, apartments, guest houses, homestays, resorts, and villas, making Traveloka a booking platform with the widest selection of accommodation and packages.
Traveloka is also a key player in the local services category, offering reservations for a wide range of local attractions, activities, wellness and beauty clinics, culinary directories as well as food delivery. Traveloka also offers financing, payment, and insurance products to help Southeast Asian consumers fulfill their lifestyle aspirations. Traveloka provides 24/7 customer service in local languages as well as more than 40 different local payment methods. Traveloka's lifestyle superapp has been downloaded more than 60 million times, making it the most popular travel and lifestyle booking application in the Southeast Asian region.
About BNI
PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk, or BNI, was established on July 5, 1946, and was the first state-owned bank to be established following Indonesia's independence. According to the Government Regulation in UU No. 2/1946, BNI operated as a central bank and a commercial bank before finally becoming a commercial bank in 1955.
BNI has 2,312 domestic outlets spread across 34 provinces and 420 regencies/cities as of First Half of 2021, as well as 8 overseas outlets spread across various countries. BNI also has 23 Medium Credit Centers (SKM), 27 Small Credit Centers (SKC), and 36 Consumer & Retail Loan Centers (LNC).
BNI now has 17,013 ATMs spread across 34 provinces and 521 regencies/cities, including 6 (six) ATMs in Hong Kong and 2 in Singapore. Debit card transactions with the GPN, Link, ATM Bersama, and Prima logos can also be processed by the ATM network. As a holding company, BNI has four subsidiaries: BNI Multifinance (financing), BNI Life (insurance), and BNI Remittance (remittances).
