Well, all thanks to the demonetization of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 notes, an action taken by the Indian Prime Minister, cash on delivery (CoD), which was once the most preferred way of making payments to all the online transactions made in India, has now plummeted to almost zero.
Interestingly, online trading companies like Snapdeal and Flipkart have claimed that the real impact on business has however been limited since most of the customers have started using cards for making payments. That is a pretty good result for the e-commerce companies which are currently facing a lot of problems with the cash on delivery method, and it has been perceived to be a long seen problem for the industry to solve. Simpl, which is a Mumbai-based company, has been working on bringing out a solution for quite some time now, and it has been offering features which sound like a pretty good way to cope up with the shortage of cash situation. The app works in a very simple way, which is probably why the company has called it Simpl. Simpl is an app wherein the merchants can choose to add it as another payment option, and the customer will just need to choose Simpl as their payment option instead of using card or net banking facilities.
Roshan Sam, who is also a part of the early team at Simpl, had mentioned in a statement that the company being just a startup, they are not focusing much about designations. He had also explained that though the idea of creating such an app has been in development for almost two years now, it finally went live in February. Faasos, the popular food delivery app was one of the biggest and earliest partners for Simpl, which gives out a great demonstration of the product.
Install the App and Start Purchasing
The users will have to set up their account first with Simpl. For the first time use of Simpl, if an account has not yet been created then the users will be sent an OTP to set up their account. Later, when the app is installed, the process to proceed is very simple. The users can now select Simpl and choose pay, and the payment is done with just a single touch. The order will be placed, delivered and the service will be rendered, since as far as the merchant is concerned, the payment has been done.
Buy Now, Pay Later
The experience is fast and easy, though not unlike making payments by using a mobile wallet account. However, the problem with using a wallet is that the users will have to remember to keep adding money to the account. On the other hand, with Simpl, the users will not have to pay anything. The app will consolidate all the dues of the user and will present a bill twice a month, probably on the 1st and 16th of each month. That is so easy and it is all done with the user having to enter the card details just once instead of having to enter it while making every single transaction. The idea behind starting such an app was to bring in all the benefits of cash on delivery to the customer while removing the flaws for the same to the merchant. And the best part is that Simpl does not charge the user for the service, as it makes its money from the merchants.
Partners of Simpl
BookMyShow is another huge partner who had joined online recently just about a month ago. apart from Faasos and BookMyShow, Simpl is used as a payment option even on Nykaa, which is an online beauty and wellness destination, on Redwolf, which is an independent clothing label, for Raccoon, which sells cool phone cases, and many others, including Hola Chef and FreshMenu. As of not, the Simpl website lists in 14 partners in all, though The company seems to be talking to many other firms and online apps and trying to pull in more merchants to get on board.
The company official had also said that post the demonetisation of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 notes, the Simpl app has had a lot more activity, Just in the same space like the other online payment companies. Of course, the Merchants are looking to rope in as many payment options as possible, and even the customers are now actively looking forward to modes of payment that are easy and safe like cash on Delivery. The Simpl app offers the same to both the merchants and the customers, which has been reflected in the result.
Simpl to Fight Hassles
Sam had mentioned that the company is basically focused on building a good experience for the consumer which is as simple as using cash. He also said that many users preferred to use the Simpl app while shopping online not because they do not offer cards or net banking solutions, but because failed transactions and refunds are much of a hassle. The users will have to go through a lot of rigmarole every single time if a card does not work while making online transactions and they will be prompted to re-enter the details, and then wait for an OTP or enter the password. And if the payment is done and still the transaction fails or the merchant does not deliver the product for some reason, then the users will have to wait for almost a week to 10 days for the amount to be refunded. According to Sam, these are the scenarios that will be fought by Simpl.
If a service has not been provided by a service provider or if a delivery has been canceled, then it will not be charged in the bill and so there is no tension about refunds, saving the users a lot of time and stress. At the same time, Simpl also promises authentication and safety, which will be provided without getting into the way of the user. The app will look over at many details including the location, and the history of transactions in order to carry out multiple verifications, which has already been very effective in bringing down the rates of failure. The failure rate of many online merchants using cards as a payment option has been bad and in double digits. With Simpl, the partners are able to lower the failure rate down to just 1-2 % with no refund issues. And so it can be stated very clearly and undoubtedly that Simpl is an app which will of huge service to both the merchants and also to the consumers.
The Setback
Right now the problem is that the reach of Simpl has been limited. Though it has been used frequently on Faasos, and occasionally for BookMyShow, apart from that, the other sellers are not the ones who might use it so often. And With just limited partners still, even the users are likely to find just a few of their regular destinations on the app. Simpl definitely hopes that things should change pretty soon in a favorable way.