Airplanes never stop flying. In every hours, there will be at least hundreds of airplanes operating around the earth. Regardless the incident happening in the past years, the airline industry in Malaysia has slowly climbing up to their original position and remains as a major economic contributor for the country’s development.
Having a good connection with customers is very important because customers are the key driver for any industry to operate. Airline business in Malaysia is not a low-cost business to start with, it involves large costs and investments. In this new era of competitiveness, airlines in Malaysia should try to offer their best for customers.
Everything must be considered in details, especially for payment method because that is the last stage upon a completion of buying process. As time goes by, we know how people enjoy doing hassle-free things. Payment gateway is the best solution for airlines to curb any troublesome issues regarding payment transactions.
Why Payment Gateway?
A payment gateway is a powerful tool which allows a third party to handle the payment transaction between the buyer and merchant. It is easier to set up a payment gateway but now there are so many payment gateway providers available that it can get confusing to choose the right one for an airline business.
Also Read: Malaysia Online Payment Methods for Consumers and MerchantsThe best option is airlines in Malaysia should consider teaming up with the leading payment processor which provides countless of advantages.
To remain competitive
Airline industry is never easy as some may thought it is. The company needs to find a way to keep people flying on the airline when there are many competitors which offer the same services with lower prices. It’s normal that the companies will be competing against a lot of upstarts who will cut prices and do heavy promotions. Don’t be surprised, it happens often in business. Expect the unexpected and be prepared for the worst.
To provide system compatibility and security
Airlines should be able to set up a payment gateway with seamless integration design for their website so people can use it easily. It is vital to stop redirecting people away from their site especially when it comes to processing the payment.
Security remains the biggest concern for merchant before implementing the payment gateway since they are dealing with a vast amount of datas. Every merchant should find a secure payment gateway in order to establish a good reputation and enhance customer’s experiences.
Varieties of Payment Methods
Payment gateway is one of the ways for airlines to provide varieties of payment methods. The company needs to consider what kind of cards do the payment gateway supported. Most payment gateways acknowledge VISA, MasterCard and American Express.
Also Read: Philippine Payment gateways & E-Wallets for customers and TradersIn addition, they have to check if the payment gateway offers multi-currency processing platform if the want to grow globally. There might be extra charges, hence it is vital to check the details before employing a payment processor.
Payment with Cash
Some payment gateways offer more advantages if they can provide payment with cash for online purchases because some people might prefer paying with cash. In this case, for first time air travellers, they probably are not familiar with how to pay with cards and limited payment options for the customers. They may need to call the company just to ask about the questions which will turn them off if they still could not get it.
The key to always tackle the first timers is offering what they usually do in their daily routine. According to Nielsen, 60 percent of Malaysian consumers agree their preferred payment method for daily spending is cash rather than plastic. Thus, it’s better to provide both online and offline transactions since that is what airlines seems to lack of.
Also Read: Tips to choose right payment gateway for your transactionsMOLPay is the only payment gateway which offers this kind of method named as
MOLPay CASH. Consumers can pay using cash for online purchases at physical outlets such as 7‐Eleven convenience stores and Petronas. Even though they may need to bring a lot of money to the convenience store, payment over counter is definitely something that people who prefer cash would go for.
Extra features
Many customers have repeated purchases from the business and in such case, airlines should look out for a payment gateway which can store customer's payment credentials and automatically charge the customers for repeated purchases. It can save a lot of time for the customers. Most of the payment gateways nowadays provide this facility but some may require an online merchant account.
Collaboration is the key
To maintain its reputation, Airlines business should always keep track on the customer’s demands because at the end of the day, they are the sole reason why the company still exists. Moreover, it’s important to keep up with the latest technology so they won't be left out.
Airlines in Malaysia should team up with the leading payment gateway in order to fully maximize the true potential of Malaysia.
Air Asia or
Malaysia Airlines should collaborate with famous leading payment gateway such as MOLPay.
Collaboration with the payment processor also will help the companies to gain customer’s trustworthiness and enhance their experiences on the site and services. It’s really a huge matter for them to consider, thus they should make sure it comes with many features and benefits.
| About the Guest Author:
Nabihah Jasri is an intern researcher for a marketing department in a
Fintech company