Blue Label launch first ever electricity Buy Now Pay Later product, with Ezra
1st
First ever Buy Now Pay Later electricity token product in South Africa
- Blue Label wanted to help 20-30% of daily out-of-credit users better access top-up services
- Ezra was selected for its innovative technology in credit scoring and turnkey digital loan solution
- Blue Label elevated the customer experience with the convenience of Buy Now Pay Later
Introduction
Blue Label Telecoms became the first company in South Africa to launch a Buy Now, Pay Later service for the distribution of prepaid electricity tokens after partnering with Ezra.
Blue Label Telecoms is a progressive leader in the market of distributing virtual, secure prepaid, electronic tokens of value. They continue to innovate by offering transactional services that reach both the formal and informal or unbanked markets, providing convenience and value to all stakeholders.
Blue Label’s business is customer centric and dedicated to driving financial inclusion for the unbanked and underserved.
Before launching the BNPL electricity product, consumers were hampered by restricted access to credit, due to lack of an efficient scoring model. This meant customers weren’t able to top-up quickly or conveniently, limiting the number of potential transactions.
Blue Label saw an opportunity to launch a Buy Now Pay Later service that could reach more of their target market demographic by implementing Ezra’s innovative credit scoring and loan solution.
Blue Label Telecoms offer a product for consumers to top up electricity meter credit via physical stores using cash.
However this presented a problem when meters ran out of credit and premises were closed at the weekends, on public holidays or due to extraordinary circumstances. The problem of accessing physical credit top up points was further complicated by the 20-30% of prepaid SIM card customers who are typically out of credit on any given day. With no available data, users were also unable to top up via online apps or channels.
Yet even when customers could reach these channels, they didn’t necessarily have access to the credit they needed. The only solution involved taking out a loan from a bank or financial institution, however this is expensive, inconvenient, bureaucratic and inaccessible to those who are unbanked.
Topping up electricity meters was inconvenient, and at times impossible for consumers.
Case Study Highlight
Why Blue Label chose Ezra
Blue Label Telecoms searched for partners who could help their customers to quickly and conveniently acquire prepaid electricity tokens, however there were few players in the market of the scale needed to serve such a large market.
Ezra was selected for its product expertise, innovative technology in credit scoring and cash loans, and experience working with large clients across Africa to deliver Buy Now Pay Later solutions.
Ezra is unique for its intelligent profiling engines, loan management systems and tailored approach to designing highly distinguished, multi-channel credit experiences for consumers.
How Ezra helped Blue Label
Ezra engaged with the client to custom design a Buy Now Pay Later solution for electricity tokens in the South African market.
The BNPL electricity product required no upfront capital investment with a tailored warranty agreement that covers any default, limiting Blue Label's financial exposure.
Ezra developed a digital loan solution for Blue Label's South African market which provided a world-class customer experience. It allows users to quickly and conveniently acquire prepaid electricity tokens which can be repaid on their next recharge.
The Ezra platform was deployed and integrated with Blue Label’s existing systems and all network operators to provide free access to online top-up irrespective of phone credit.
Ezra’s intelligent customer profiling combined with its scoring algorithm meant that Blue Label could instantly loan electricity tokens to customers even if they were out of credit.
Ezra’s UX team worked with the client to optimise the experience for different consumers across their channels including USSD, app, mobile and more. With a warranty that covers Blue Label on any credit default, Ezra also helped to de-risk digital lending for the client.
Warranty protection on defaults
Intelligent customer profiling engine
Custom-designed credit app experience
The results
Thanks to Ezra, Blue Label Telecoms offered the first ever Buy Now pay Later service for prepaid electricity token purchase in South Africa. The product launch opened up thousands of new unbanked and underbanked customers, and helped to deliver greater access to electricity credit.
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