MOBILE wallet provider Lynk has onboarded three gasoline service stations to its merchant platform, LynkBiz, as part of its campaign pushing the adoption of central bank digital currency across various sectors in Jamaica.

The latest additions to the Lynk merchant platform are Boot Drax Hall in St Ann; Jamgas in Denbigh, Clarendon; and Texaco in Barbican, St Andrew. By enlisting as a Lynk merchant the service stations can now receive payments from customers who use the Lynk app on their mobile devices.

The mobile application allows its users to make transfers and payments using the Bank of Jamaica-issued central bank digital currency, also know as Jamaica Digital Exchange or Jam-Dex.

Lynk is now eyeing other service stations as it continues the roll-out of LynkBiz.

Responding to a query from the Jamaica Observer about expanding the adoption of the mobile wallet and merchant platform through the Jamaica Gasoline Retailers Association (JGRA), Lynk noted, “We are eager to work with the major retailers and associations to expand digital payments at gas retailers across the island.”

Lynk Sales and Partnerships Lead Marc Lewis further outlined that in addition to meeting with the JGRA, the management team had also considered meeting with the various marketing companies.

“We’re looking to meet with the whole sector…but we’re looking to go across the board — not just in gasoline, but transportation as a whole — so we’re looking to get taxis online,” he stated.

Lewis further pointed out that the approach to get more taxis enlisted as Lynk merchants will be the same as the gasoline retailers — meeting with the various taxi companies in the Corporate Area and the associations representing route taxi drivers. This will allow the mobile wallet provider to present its value proposition to the stakeholders in transport, including the convenience of receiving payments from passengers, paying for gasoline, insurance, and credit.

The Lynk executive, however, expects pushback.

“A big part of how you deal with pushback is education, because a big part of pushback is persons not understanding or trusting the new product or service,” Lewis explained.

Moreover, he said that people in the transport sector are already using the payment platform as “early adopters”. The aim now, according to Lewis, is to capitalise on the early adopters to drive conversion.

“And once those converts’ experiences are good, you’ll have them become advocates.”

Ahead of the launch of LynkBiz in April this year, Lynk had onboarded petrol marketing company Future Energy Source Company (Fesco) as part of a pilot. Fesco’s Beechwood Avenue, Ferry, Bodles, Braeton, and Mandeville service stations were a part of that early stage campaign.

Based on the lessons learned from the pilot, Lewis said Lynk has gleaned how to pitch to other service station providers and understand how customers have responded to the payment platform.

He told the Business Observer that Lynk is now in talks with other petroleum marketing companies and will see more service stations becoming merchants over the next two months.