PayWise Limited

You can use a scanner or phone to scan your documents for Paywise. If you are using a camera here are some tips to make sure the documents are ‘picture perfect’.

You can use an app like Microsoft Office Lens or your camera. The camera can be a phone camera or normal digital camera.

Using Microsoft Office Lens
Free app on Google Play and Apple App Store.

Google Play Store:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.office.officelens&hl=en
Apple Store:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/office-lens/id975925059?mt=8

Point and click, the app does the rest.
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Using Your Camera
1. Ensure the area is well lit
2. Position camera directly over the documents
3. The document edges should touch the edges of your screen
4. Ensure the camera is focused and the print is clear to read
5. Ensure no shadow is cast on the document

​Since 2013 we have continuously improved the service. Now, Paywise provides hourly payment notifications and daily bank transfers. Hence, businesses have faster access to cash and timely payment information.

1. Daily Bank Transfers
Payments received are credited to your bank account on the next business day.

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2. Hourly Payment Notifications
Payment notifications (via SMS and email) are sent within an hour of the payment.

These are just some of the dynamic changes we are making to benefit merchants.

There are always two sides to a story. The chronic foreign exchange shortage causes hardship to some but presents an opportunity to others. Many businesses are unable to access foreign exchange in sufficient quantities, at prevailing prices and in a timely manner to pay for imports. This leaves a gap, or rather, creates a business opportunity.

There has always been a cry to buy local. However, buy local not for the sake of buying local. Buy local because the goods are of comparable value to their foreign counterparts. Not that locally produced goods must measure pound-for-pound with foreign competitors. In other words, the price-to-value ratio (i.e., what the consumer gets for the price paid) convinces the consumer that the product is a sound and rational alternative.

With no end in sight for the foreign exchange shortage, the opportunity for local goods to gain inroads into the market will persist. However, it is not a low hanging fruit. The market is too discerning to accept poor substitutes. The entrepreneur has to come good and then some.

Many organizations, groups and individuals seek donations for worthy causes. The conventional way to receive donations is to ask that deposits be made to a bank account set up for that purpose. Despite the best intentions many potential donors never make it to the bank. They want to contribute but the long bank lines are a big discouragement. The lack of a quick way for the man-in-the-street to make donations is one of the major reasons funding targets are never achieved.

Paywise has a solution. We provide a convenient, safe and fast way to make donations. Donors simply visit one of the 900+ VIA Bill Payment agents across the country and make the donation. In two-twos, the payment is made. Afterward, Paywise transfers the donations to the bank account set up for that purpose. Such an easy way of making donations enables NGOs, organizations, groups and individuals to more purposefully target the man-in-the-street and raise more money.

To registration with Paywise is a simple process and by the next business day, you can begin receiving donations.

For more information call 223-9422 or email us at [email protected].

We have created a new signage to inform customers that merchants accept payments via Paywise. The logo can be included on the banner of the merchant’s Facebook page, in posts, and the website homepage. Merchants can place the signage where ever they think, it will best serve, to inform customers that payments are accepted via Paywise.

The signage is provided to merchants during the registration process.

After the first month, we don’t hear from our merchants. During the first month, calls are received and questions answered about the service. We answer questions promptly and, if need be, direct merchants to our blog for more information. After the first month, there is little or no interaction save and except for payment transactions.

The main issue encountered are customers asking the NLCB VIA Bill Payment agent to make a purchase to the merchant; not Paywise. The agent responds in the negative; there is no merchant payment option.

Merchants then contact us and we ask for the customer’s contact information. We contact the customer, explain what has to be said and walk him or her through the process. To avoid this issue, we provide merchants with payment instructions to give to customers.

Merchants, of course, can customize the instructions to their preferred wording.

Merchants are asked to contact us for any issue, especially customer payment issues. Also, customers may contact us using the phone number (223-9422) on the receipt.

As we shared with a merchant: We do not like when customers are unable to make a payment. That is not our promise in offering the service. Our goal is a frictionless payment process. Because at the end of the day it’s the customer experience that counts.

As an alternative payment method, Paywise checkout process is different. The Paywise Checkout process described herein is for the Integrated Payment Method only. Paywise Checkout has three parts: payment selection, making the payment and payment confirmation.

Payment Selection

On the merchant website, the buyer places items into her shopping cart and proceeds to checkout. During the checkout process, the buyer may select from one or more payment options; Paywise is one of the payment options offered.

In the case where Paywise is the only payment method, the merchant may use the Paywise Checkout button.

Where Paywise is one of the payment methods offered, the merchant may use one of the Paywise payment buttons. See below.

When any button is selected, the buyer is given instructions to make the payment. This may appear in a popup window, on a web page and/or emailed to the buyer. Typical Paywise instructions read as follows:

Making the Payment

The buyer proceeds to an NLCB VIA Bill Payment agent and makes the payment.

Payment Confirmation

Paywise processes the payment and posts the transaction data to the merchant website. The payment is then applied to the relevant account or order by the merchant website. The merchant fulfills the order.

Merchants wishing to use the Paywise buttons may contact us at [email protected].

 

 

 

Many customers ask if Paywise offers credit card services. Unfortunately, we do not. However, we suggest that customers consider using Stripe and Payoneer to accept credit card payments. We thank Wesley Gervais of Hivesource for sharing with us how he was able to accept credit card payments online at minimal cost. You can read his article on the Hivesource blog. In our article, we cover the salient points.

Local banks offer online credit card payment gateways. Namely, Scotiabank, First Citizen Bank, Republic Bank and First Caribbean International Bank. However, they do not target the small- to mid-sized businesses. Knowing this, entrepreneurs turn to the popular payment services such as PayPal. However, PayPal does not work for businesses in Trinidad and Tobago. You could open an individual account but this account type is not suited for business.

Stripe and Payoneer, two international services, provide an easy and affordable means to accept credit card payments online. Stripe allows both private individuals and businesses to accept payments over the Internet. Payoneer provides online money transfer and e-commerce payment services. To setup your account:

1. Open an account in Stripe. Stripe will ask for a US bank account.
2. Open an account in Payoneer. Payoneer will provide a US bank account that is linked to a debit card. The debit card will be mailed to you. Your application will be processed within two days. Once the application is processed the US bank account number is issued.
3. On the Payoneer dashboard click on the Global Payment Service option for the bank information.
4. Add the Payoneer US bank account to your Stripe account
5. Viola! You can now accept credit card payments

Integrate Stripe into your website and you are ready to receive payments. Payments received are processed by Stripe and then credited to your Payoneer bank account after 2 working days. Transfer the funds to a Trinidad and Tobago bank account or use the Payoneer card to meet your business expenses.

Caveat…while this approach works now, it is possible that Stripe and/or Payoneer may change their policies and the option may no longer be available.  

Paywise can be integrated into any merchant website. Integration is optional and free of charge. To integrate Paywise a merchant must first register with us. Afterwards, the API documentation is passed to the merchant. This document shows the merchant’s application developer how to capture transaction data generated by Paywise.

The implementation process is simple.

1. The developer incorporates the code in the merchant’s website
2. Paywise performs test transactions
3. The developer confirms the transaction data is being received and captured
4. Afterwards, Paywise conducts live tests
5. In the live test the entire payment process is tested; acceptance of payment at the LOTTO agents, processing of the payment by Paywise, capturing and processing of the payment by the merchant’s website
6. Once this is successful the integration process is completed

During the integration process, we lend assistance where necessary to ensure the process is fast and easy. If need be, we can recommend developers who can integrate Paywise into websites and popular shopping carts like Magento and Shopify.

Very soon, we shall have APIs for the leading shopping carts.

Need your money soon? No problem. We are pleased to introduce Next Day Credit. With this option, merchants receive payments by the next business day. 

How Next Day Credit works:

1. Send us an email requesting Next Day Credit
2. You will receive an email confirming your Next Day Credit
3. Payments will be credited to your bank account on the next business day

An extra TTD 5.00 will be charged for each request.

Please note that email requests must be received no later than 10:00pm on the day of the request.

If you don’t need Next Day Credit, payments will be credited to your bank account on the regular days (Tuesdays and Fridays).