• Clickatell has integrated its Chat 2 Pay solution with WhatsApp to allow FlySafair customers to make mobile payments.
• It is one of several local companies embracing chat commerce as a way to engage with customers.
• Chat 2 Pay also has the added advantage of being more secure when making payments, according to Clickatell.

Clickatell, which specialises in enabling chat commerce and mobile payment solutions, has announced that another local company will be making use of its solutions in the form of FlySafair.

Moving forward, FlySafair customers can now interact with the company via its WhatsApp channel, as well as make mobile payments thanks to the Chat 2 Pay functionality offered by Clickatell. It is also the first airline in the world to deploy Chat 2 Pay with a pay-by-link capability, Clickatell points out.

The company explains that customers of the airline can access the WhatsApp service by sending “Hi” to the FlySafair business account on +27 87 357 0030. 

Once in the WhatsApp channel customers can select “My Booking”, then “Buy a Bag”, and follow the prompts on the secure payment link to make a purchase on WhatsApp. There is also the option to scan a QR code at the check-in counters to receive the secure payment link.  

“We are thrilled to work with FlySafair to transform its customers’ experience by making it possible to make payments using their mobile phones. No one has time to stand in queues anymore, and almost every adult on the planet has a mobile phone. There is a major opportunity for airlines across the globe to enhance their customers’ travel experience by making it possible to browse, book and pay for, as well as manage their travel bookings on their mobile phones,” explained Jeppe Dorff (pictured above), chief product and technology officer at Clickatell, regarding the announcement.

 “We are always looking for ways to improve our customer experience and are therefore very excited that our customers can now pay for their luggage with a payment link shared to their mobile phones via WhatsApp. There is no need any more for our customers to go stand in a queue at the airport to pay for luggage,” added Kirby Gordon, chief marketing officer at FlySafair.