Digital wallet provider Lynk and advertising solutions agency the Yello Media Group recently forged a strategic partnership that will see the entities launching a new e-commerce solution for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

The partnership aims to provide hundreds of MSMEs with access to Yello’s mission of connecting businesses to consumer needs supported by Lynk’s effort to grow small businesses through its digital payment solutions, making it easier for them to access e-commerce and payment services.

As part of the partnership, Yello will support businesses with its website development solution during the first phase. Lynk, on the other hand, through its LynkBiz platform, will enable business owners to integrate a digital payment platform into their businesses utilising a ‘Scan to Pay’ QR code at physical locations and a ‘Pay with Lynk’ button to enable e-commerce transactions on business websites.

“This partnership with Yello is the next evolution of our commitment to inclusivity and accessibility,” commented Denise Williams, chief growth officer at Lynk, in a joint news release earlier this week.

“COVID proved to us the importance of e-commerce, yet still many smaller businesses are unable to afford the costs associated with building a website and integrating online payment platforms. This, therefore, is an affordable option which caters to the widest cross section of Jamaicans as our app links the banked to the unbanked as a result of its low Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements which allows for easier download and sign-up processes,” she added.

The Lynk wallet, developed by NCB’s fintech arm TFOB, enables customers to use their phones to carry out digital transactions without having to carry around credit cards, debit cards or cash. Users can cash into their wallets by using any of NCB’s 300 intelligent ABMs islandwide or even by using the platform to transfer funds digitally and also to make payments at over 5,000 Lynk merchants, pay bills online or more recently to collect remittances.

The partnership, which comes on the heels of Jamaica being ranked among the top economies poised for e-commerce development in Latin America and the Caribbean according to data from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTD), will over the next three months see Lynk and Yello strengthen their support of MSMEs. Both companies are now in the process of rolling out a full suite of services that will help business owners to seamlessly enter the digital economy.

The partnership, which is to be officially launched at the upcoming Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association’s (JMEA) Expo Jamaica trade show set to run April 27-30, is to offer business registration seminars to enable micro and small businesses to review and complete the necessary document requirements to get on the LynkBiz platform and to access a Lynk-powered e-commerce website from Yello.

“We are making e-commerce more accessible, by merging professional website development with online payment capabilities for registered businesses of all sizes. While we are targeting the MSME market, businesses of all sizes can benefit from our partnership. With our wide-ranging website development solutions and the establishment of Imagine Digital – our digital marketing entity, Yello is ensuring that we fully cater to the needs of business whether they are small, medium, or large,” stated Keisha-Maria Cools-Lartigue, head of products at Yello.

“Now, with the integration of the Pay with Lynk button, we are also ensuring that we cater to MSME customers by offering a payment solution that is accessible for all,” she added.