Macrokiosk inks deal with Big Mobile to enable mobile payments

By Digital News Asia May 8, 2014

Enables Big Mobile’s efforts to bring mobile commerce and payments to its advertisers in APAC
Marks a significant step for Macrokiosk in growing its business in Australia and beyond

Macrokiosk inks deal with Big Mobile to enable mobile payments Macrokiosk Berhad and Big Mobile have signed an Asia-wide mobile payment agreement to enable the latter’s efforts to bring mobile commerce and payments to its advertisers.

The agreement allows Big Mobile, a mobile media and solutions company founded in 2009, to leverage Macrokiosk’s direct mobile payment connectivity network to support its continued growth in the region, tapping growing annual retail payments via mobile handsets and tablets.

This arrangement is intended to enable advertisers to influence awareness through to final payment, completing the path to purchase through mobile phones and tablets.

Kenny Goh (pic), group chief executive officer of Macrokiosk said the company is “proud” to enable Big Mobile and have the opportunity to play a role in powering enhanced mobile payments connectivity for its customers as well as offer a gateway to reach a wider audience in the Asia Pacific (APAC) market.

“Our relationship with Big Mobile is a key milestone for us in Australia, and we look forward to growing with them,” he added.

Mobile payment transaction values in Asia are expected to grow at an exponential rate, surpassing Africa in 2016, taking the lead over other regions in terms of mobile payments.

In the United States, annual retail payments via mobile handsets and tablets are forecasted to increase, reaching US$707 billion by 2018, representing 30% of the total eRetail market.

With the growth of mobile commerce, mobile advertising presents an opportunity to directly reach consumers in innovative ways such as the ability to run viral, time or location-focused marketing campaigns.

Commenting on the agreement, Graham Christie, partner at Big Mobile expressed excitement over the opportunity to partner with the mobile payments vendor across APAC and build its mobile payments offering as the company prepares for an IPO (initial public offering) at the end of the year.

“There are strong geographical synergies between our companies, with Macrokiosk having direct access to more than two billion mobile consumers through their regional and global telco relationships – many in the same APAC regions as Big Mobile,” he added.