Amazon is focused on providing international customers with access to millions of products.
Western Union’s money movement platform will power a new payment option for cross-border customers shopping on Amazon.com. Customers in select countries will be able to shop on Amazon and pay in person, in local currency, through the Western Union agent network.
Western Union president and CEO Hikmet Ersek said: “There are people in the world who want greater access to Amazon’s huge product selection but paying for those purchases has been a real obstacle for many customers.
“We’re leveraging our money movement platform to make it easier to shop global and pay local. By facilitating the complex foreign exchange and settlement process, we’re opening up more consumer choices and access to online shopping for tens of millions of potential new Amazon customers.”
Expanding Customer Access and Closing the Payments Gap
Forrester Research estimates that cross-border shopping will make up 20% of e-commerce by 2022, with sales reaching $630 billion.
Choice, quality and cost are the main motivations for consumers to shop online from overseas, but there are challenges and concerns about the lack of payment options for consumers who prefer to pay in person or consumers who are not comfortable using online payment methods.
Customers in select countries will be offered the new payment option on the Amazon checkout page.
Shoppers will be sent a code and instructions on how to make the payment at a participating Western Union agent location. Western Union’s platform will also power the process for cash refunds for product returns.
Source: Company Press Release
