An online order can take less than a minute to place. Completing it depends on whether the payment clears, someone can pick and deliver the goods, and a customer can get help if anything goes wrong. Those steps determine whether an online sale turns into a completed order and a repeat purchase.
Kenya shows the physical side of mobile money
The World Bank’s Global Findex 2021 reported that 69% of adults in Kenya had a mobile money account, compared with 33% across Sub-Saharan Africa. These figures describe account ownership in that survey year. A retailer still needs to test which payment methods customers use in the area it intends to serve.
Kenya’s M-PESA illustrates how a digital payment service can use a physical distribution network. Agents help customers convert cash into electronic value and withdraw funds. An agent needs cash for withdrawals and electronic float for deposits. When either runs out, customers may need to try another outlet or return later.
A merchant accepting mobile payments has a different job. It needs to match payment confirmations and settlements to orders, identify duplicates and assign someone to investigate cases where the customer was debited but the order remains unpaid in the system. Track completion by method and location, and measure how long it takes to resolve unmatched payments.
South Africa shows the value of collection options
Takealot’s pickup points give online shoppers in South Africa a physical place to collect orders. The model makes a different part of the transaction visible. Stock still has to be picked, packed, moved and recorded as ready before the customer travels. The collection point also needs a way to confirm that the parcel went to the right person.
A retailer considering pickup should compare completed collections with first-attempt home deliveries in the same service area. It should also track parcels that go uncollected, the reasons for failed handovers and the time it takes to return stock to saleable inventory.
The two cases show different operating needs. M-PESA agents help customers move between cash and a digital wallet. Takealot pickup points help customers receive physical goods ordered online. A business entering a new market should identify which handovers its own customers depend on and who can make them work reliably.
Give customer support a way to resolve the problem
When a parcel fails to arrive, a customer needs someone who can check the courier’s record and arrange the next step. When a payment is disputed, the person handling the case needs a way to verify it with finance or the payment provider. Give each case a named owner and a time for the next update.
Design returns alongside delivery. Tell customers where to return goods and what proof they will receive. Record who inspects the return, who approves the refund and how finance confirms that the money reached the customer. Measure time to confirmed resolution and repeat contacts about the same issue, grouped by cause.
Test the whole order before expanding
A retailer piloting in a new city can review a sample of orders from checkout to receipt or refund. It can compare payment completion, first-attempt delivery, pickup completion and resolution time across neighbourhoods. If orders stall after successful payment, the next decision may be to adjust stock allocation, change a courier handover or give the support team access to better information.
M&J Consultants can help your team map payment, fulfilment and support responsibilities and design a pilot for your target market. Enquire for a tailored quote.
Sources
World Bank, Global Findex 2021 | Kenya and Sub-Saharan Africa mobile money account ownership https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/globalfindex
Safaricom | M-PESA service and agent network https://www.safaricom.co.ke/personal/m-pesa
Takealot | Pickup points https://www.takealot.com/pickup-points