Viber Pay is used by millions of users in Europe

The company behind one of the world's most popular communication apps, Viber, has gradually expanded the services it offers to its users. "Several million people a day now receive a wide variety of news and services via chatbots, as well as instant messages from a wide variety of companies directly in Viber," said Atanas Raikov, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Rakuten Viber, who took part in the discussion INvestments in INnovations: The New Wave during the Economic.bg business forum – ALL IN

We cover 95% of smartphone users. Payment is a key element, and this service (Viber Pay) has already reached millions of registrations in Europe, making a significant impact."

The fintech service is available in several European countries, including Greece, Estonia, Lithuania, and Slovenia. Starting this month, it will also be available to users in the Philippines, Atanas Raikov said. Regarding its entry into Bulgaria, he reminded that one of the reasons it is not yet available here is that our country has not adopted the euro.

It is very difficult even for a global company like ours to cover all European countries. Regulations vary, and sometimes the Bulgarian market takes a back seat to countries that operate with the euro, where it is easier for us to enter.

The vice president of Rakuten Viber explained that the younger generation wants to make their daily payments easier and operate with their money as easily as possible. "It's hard to explain to an 18-year-old that they have to go to a branch and answer 16 questions. We managed to eliminate almost 60% of the required information."

The new generation, which is growing up and educating the old, is helping us to think in new ways. They expect to receive the service very quickly, and if it requires a lot of effort, it doesn't work well."

According to him, collaborations between digital companies and traditional institutions lay the foundations for business and create great value.

According to Raikov, by 2050, "all the pressing of different screens will probably disappear." He believes that all the typical virtual things that a person can do with their eyes or thoughts will revolutionize the way communication happens.

Translated with DeepL.