African Review - Avangate offers expanded localisation capabilities for MENA ecommerce operations

The expanded offering includes the cashU payment method, Farsi language, and several billing and display currencies. cashU is an alternative payment method based on prepaid cards that can be purchased in most Middle Eastern and North African countries, and is considered one of the most popular Internet payment solutions within these regions. Through a Web-based interface, customers can pay online using the pre-paid cashU vouchers, and they can also add credits to their cashU account.

Newly added currencies include the Israeli New Sheqel, Qatar Riyal, Saudi Riyal, Egyptian Pound and seven others. The Farsi language has circa 110mn native speakers, holding official status in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Besides helping vendors penetrate new markets, deep localization capabilities increase shopper trust, leading to higher conversion rates and revenues.

“Our mission continues to be to provide Avangate’s customers with solutions for growing their businesses worldwide with an exceptional customer experience,” said Mike Ni, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Products. “Expanding our localisation capabilities is a crucial component of our goal. Avangate is among the first to deliver Middle Eastern localization and payment options enabling software companies to reach new customers and geographies, especially in emerging markets.”

The Avangate eCommerce platform already supports multiple localisation capabilities for ordering software online and through channel partners. These features bring together 24 languages, 27 payment methods, 48 display currencies, and hyper-localisation to present geographic-specific pricing, taxes, and appropriate global and local payment methods.