When Bangladesh Stepping into Arena of E-Commerce

Despite tons of hurdles in the way of overall growth of country, Bangladesh is encompassing wider range of technologies and e-commerce growth is its evidence. Bangladesh is stepping into arena of e-commerce slowly, but surely and steadily. It is the e-commerce performance for B2C category, which seems much promising and needs focus. Let’s check what it actually needs.

Bangladesh is considered as an under privilege country with high density population, high rate of illiteracy, high poverty rate, and scanty infrastructure to adopt advance technologies that most of the countries in the world enjoy. Despite such hindrance, today country has 7 million Internet users with more than 200 ISP and 100 million mobile Internet users. Nearly one million Internet users enjoy Internet and mobile banking services subscriptions and contributing nearly 100 core transactions each month.

Factors Favoring Online Shopping Trends
This big volume of Internet users have boosted the growth of e-commerce in unprecedented volume and more than 2500 online shops or say e-storefronts are operating in Bangladesh. Each prosperous brick-and-mortar store is enjoying an online identity offering online shopping or e-transaction facilities for online shoppers. No doubt, the growth of Internet is not one-day or one-year miracle, but the consistent efforts of government, international trade and other organization, contribution of world banks and finance institutions, and finally, contribution of Bangladeshi entrepreneurs residing outside the country.

Initiatives Made to Sustain Online Shopping Growth
Government had made target of “Digital Bangladesh in 2012” and provided all sorts of legal, financial, and infrastructural support to boost the online shopping infrastructure and intentions among the citizens through various nodal agencies. Banks in Bangladesh have formed a common platform to ease the lives of Internet shoppers and money transactions needy Bangladeshis within and outside the country. Recent collaboration of banks with Payza Bangladesh like payment gateway service providers are giving solid evidences of the good intentions of the country and its people to keep pace with time and modernize the society by-and-large.

If we look at the recent development, we can realize that Bangladesh is stepping into arena of e-commerce growth with solid infrastructure.

• Licenses issued to the maximum WiMAX services
• Licenses issued to the VoIP operators by BRTC
• Some additional IIG licenses issued by BRTC
• Permission for upgrade network to TD-LTE for Banglalion and Augere 

Besides these, recent onslaught of mobility have solved many problems indirectly like affordability of computing devices and spreading wired network because mobile devices are cheaper alternative against standalone desktops or laptops with limited mobility. Advent of 3G/4G technologies has solved connectivity issues at greater extents. Introduction of Payza like payment gateway provider in Bangladesh have eliminated the needs of bureaucrats in money transactions or remittance for Bangladeshis sending or receiving money from and to the country.

Nature of Online Shops in Bangladesh
Besides government services, ticket bookings for rail, air, or land transports are optimum usage of e-commerce or e-transactions. Various industries including garments, hospitality, travels, job market, outsourcing, groceries, retails, and many essential commodity businesses are witnessing a big surge through their online shopping opportunity services. In due course, following e-commerce or say online shopping websites are witnessing high revenue turn over.

•  Bikroy
•  Akhoni
•  Cellbazaar
•  ClickBD
•  BDjobs
•  Rokomari
•  And many others 

If we closely examine, majority of online shopping services were C2C nature in recent past, but now B2C types of online shopping is becoming trendy. Reasons are obvious as payment system for online shoppers is becoming more secure and safe against other delivery and collection methods in past traditions. Today any citizen can use her bank account to topple money in Payza Bangladesh account and easily as well as quickly make online payments with the cheapest rates in the world.

Thus, Bangladesh is becoming a paradise for online shoppers gradually and heading towards a bright as well as promising future.

E-Payment System and Internet Shopping in Bangladesh

Influence of electronic payment system over the Internet shopping in Bangladesh is profound and need revisits of policies as well as strategies employed. Therefore, some live debate on this is must and discussion on the pros and cons of e-payment system may bring fruitful solutions with the pace of time.

In traditional banking system, we had everything on paper so we used to rely heavily on the human resources to accomplish tasks of entries, clearing, deposits, document transfer, etc. on time and with accuracy. Fortunately, digitalization and use of Internet as well as intranet network had changed that dismal scenario rapidly in the western developed countries before decades.

Towards Digital Bangladesh
However, in Bangladesh like backward economy, these all and sudden changes were not possible so Bangladeshis have to wait for long to enjoy such advance privileges in comparison to their western counterparts. Fortunately, government of Bangladesh has initiated many vital moves in this direction and given an agenda to make economy and other sectors digital through “Digital Bangladesh” slogan.

Many forward thinkers and people with futuristic visions including entrepreneurs residing within country or in foreign lands have created highly conductive environment and made useful efforts to boost the process of digitalization through invading Internet and telecommunication network or facilities in early days. Later on mobiles became buzzword and sudden proliferation of mobile users taken place.

E-Payment Scenario
Along with other infrastructural facilities in the country, financial system also had taken many vital initiations. Among them banking sector and payment gateways were leaders to revolutionize the scenario of e-commerce by-and-large. Today, majority of money transactions are taking place through electronic cards or Internet across the country. Therefore, it is vital to understand the electronic payment system in Bangladesh before doing any business in the country or investing money.

Challenges on the Road
Yes, things are not always gloomy, as they seem because there are multiple challenges on the road of progress, which people of Bangladesh and other stakeholders of economy have to face, such as:

• Increased rate of cyber crime in this social and educational backward country
• Money laundering like activities due to strict money regulations and rules of land
• Perception of people are not always positive due to backwardness and lack of awareness
• Initial high cost for access because e-card payment as well as Internet payment systems need investment in infrastructure for government as well as financial system and in hardware for end-users.
• Confidence and security of transaction is big issue due to increasing threats from the hackers as well as malicious elements in Internet shopping payment as well as thieves for e-card payments
• Lack of knowledge and skills is a big problem in Bangladesh in using e-payment system where illiterate population is bigger in mid-age and elder people population categories
• Attitude to a new product vary in this small country where new generation is ready to adopt new things easily while older one is still grapples
• To minimize the cash based transaction is a big goal because the lower strata of society occupies a big portion and threats of thieves, robbers, and other non-social elements are bigger in comparison to its neighboring countries like India. Therefore, spreading e-payment tempo in rural areas of Bangladesh is positive move.

Solutions and Implementations
No doubt, government and banks have taken numerous steps to beat the aforementioned challenges, but initiative by Payza Bangladesh has enhanced advancement procedure of e-payment system noteworthy for Internet shoppers and others. Through various schemes like SimplySendBD and Payza e-wallet, this payment gateway providing group has revolutionized the entire scenario of Internet shopping experiences.

Moreover, Payza has boosted the morals of e-commerce providers in Bangladesh and for Bangladesh at admirable levels. The most important thing Payza has done is that it has given highly cheaper yet quality alternative for e-transactions and e-payment to an underprivileged country like Bangladesh.

If you have any questions or comments, we invite you to share them with us by leaving a comment below or joining us on our Payza Facebook and Payza Twitter pages.  

Tips to Keep You Safe While Doing Online Shopping In Bangladesh

Online shopping is worth your time and money when they are in question. Today Bangladeshi lifestyle is changing rapidly and Bangladeshis are simulating lifestyle of developed countries of the world. Therefore, online shopping in Bangladesh is getting momentum gradually. However, it is not par and safe as in western countries. Here are some tips to do it safe and securely.

Today society in Bangladesh, by-and-large, is passing through a transition phase from underdeveloped to a developing and may be as developed at any point of time in near future. Government is functioning in democratic ways and uplifting the life of people in the country through various measures. Education rate is picking new peaks and people are living busy lifestyle as their western counterparts are doing.

Proliferation of mobiles and penetration of Internet are factors pushing e-commerce at new levels. Online shopping in Bangladesh is gradually becoming trend, as almost everything is available and within reach of fingertips or just a click on the web. We can list numerous benefits of online shopping viz. time saving, fuel saving, opportunity to do comparative shopping, and many more in different contexts.

Unfortunately, each coin has two facets so online shopping has some dark shadows looming on Bangladeshi shoppers too. Let’s check some of them in brief here.

Heavy is Suspicious

When you find that any e-commerce store or ads on the web, whether it is on social media or elsewhere, is luring you through offering unbelievably high discounts or incentives, look at them with suspicious eyes. Remember that reputed brands never sale their products at the cheapest rates or offer heavy discounts that make your head wobble.

Usually, brands are passing their savings on brick store investment and other overheads in measurable percentages, never at half or one-third rates. Unfortunately, scammers in Bangladesh are enough and know how to trap new generation shoppers by victimizing them based on their immaturity and freedom offered by illiterate or less educated parents.

This is the best way to save you from possible cheating or frauds. Smart online shoppers are directly logging in with original website or mobile app of the brands, instead of going via other routes. Thus, my next suggestion is secure your log-in credentials.

Secure Surfing
Today half of the online shopping is taking place through mobile devices, smartphones or tablets. Do you know Wi-Fi or mobile connection is considered insecure across the world and it is more vulnerable in, Bangladesh like, developing nations. Always keep your computing devices updated with security software and recommended security measures even though you have wired connection because passwords and credit card credentials are stored in cookies and hackers can access through hacking your system easily.

Cross Check before Big Deal
Bangladesh is not big nation that you can’t collect info of any reputed business using your personal or professional circles. This is imperative particularly when you are going to pay a big amount or making a big deal where your payment is in risk.

Ray of Hopes
Fortunately, among the misty online environment in Bangladesh, Payza Bangladesh like entrepreneurs have taken right steps to offer secure and easy online shopping experiences in pure Bangladeshi contexts. Moreover, such payment gateway in Bangladesh have made money transactions cheaper and safe through forming alliances with local and international banks.

Ways to Do Smart Internet Shopping in Bangladesh

The popularity of online shopping in Bangladesh is growing day-by-day blessed by mobiles and various incentives offered by e-commerce industry. However, online shopping is neither risk free nor cheaper, if you don’t know how to play smartly. Let’s check the smartest ways to do so.

Internet shopping in Bangladesh is getting immense popularity among all the creeds and classes of Bangladeshis. Thanks to increased penetration of cheaper Internet and flourishing mobile with ease of Internet through 3G/4G connectivity, Bangladeshis are enjoying Internet shopping with awesome features and facilities. Modern generation of Bangladeshis is enjoying online shopping without putting any step outside their home or office confinement, even they can shop while they are driving or commuting in public transport in odd hours.

Internet Shopping Craze in Bangladesh
They can place order with cash on delivery or home delivery without taking any risk of online payment as well as they can pay securely through Payza Bangladesh like safe and secure payment gateway. After observing online shopping craze in Bangladesh many entrepreneurs have jumped into the bandwagon and established their online identity with such secure payment methods and payment gateway integrations, even brick stores have created brick-to-click storefront for Internet shoppers in Bangladesh.

Internet Shopping Security
However, not all players are fair and there are frauds, spam websites, hackers, malicious elements, etc. unwanted activities reporting with same intensity on the web-o-sphere of Bangladesh. Therefore, it is mandatory to take enough precautionary steps while doing Internet shopping in Bangladesh taking smart way of e-shopping

Shop from Secure Online Storefronts Only
It is true that on Internet not all e-commerce storefronts or websites are reliable and offer secure shopping experiences. Therefore, you need to check some essential characteristics of Internet shopping websites prior to inserting any vital info from your side and those precautionary steps involve:

Reading the privacy policies thoroughly:
Yes, the majority of e-commerce websites are offering comprehensive and legitimate privacy policy. They do so in order to protect your financial and personal information, which you enter during checkout process to do your payment. If you find any loophole or discrepancy, do not shop with them.

Read Reviews of Storefronts:
Today we have social media like Facebook and other social networking sites where we can exchange our opinions and experiences with brands and such online shopping websites. Therefore, avail these facilities in your favor and simply read reviews or place your thoughts of shopping on certain e-commerce sites, you will have tons of advices or insights regarding their reliability, services, and security like experiences of others. The best way is to open their Facebook page and check the customers of brands that have placed their reviews and ratings.
Bangladeshis are fond of social media and eager to express them on it so take advantage of their mentality and extract the truth about the website on which you are going to do Internet shopping for big order or to be a loyal customer forever.  

Right Selection of Payment Method and Payment Gateway:
Fortunately, in modern Bangladesh, government, banks, and many Payza Bangladesh like entrepreneurs have made solid effort to make online payment highly safe, secure, and affordable for Bangladesh like underprivileged country. Thus, you need to check, which payment method involves the safest payment option and which payment gateway is involved with it

Payza Bangladesh Provides Different Account Types for Sending and Receiving Money

Whether you wish to send or receive money online, accept payments for your sold products or services, or even managing businesses online, you need to have Payza account customized to meet your needs. Let’s check the account types and their benefits in e-transactions.

Bangladesh is a tiny country, but growing economy on the world map. Government, infrastructure, and Bangladeshis are growing mature over the time and trying to keep pace with advent of technologies. Today, Bangladesh has huge mass of migrant population outside the country that is fueling the native economy by sending money, work, and entrepreneurs in different modes.

Thus, the lifestyle of the average Bangladeshi is improving and modernization getting ways ahead. The ultimate side effect of this is in the growth of e-commerce and e-transfer activities using modern technologies and tools. Mobile and 3G/4G like communication forms have made Internet ubiquitous and easily accessible in the hands of poor to rich strata of society.

Role of Unique Payment Gateways

In wake of increased sending and receiving money interactions, Bangladesh needs customized and unique payment gateway solution providers who understand the goals of government and people by-and-large. Fortunately, Payza has taken bid to ease the sending and receiving money interactions of Bangladeshis online. In fact, Payza Bangladesh is integrating the latest and excellent payment gateway technologies in its offerings, exclusively for Bangladesh, time-to-time and going to offer different types of accounts with different sets of features and functionality.

Payza accounts allows users, who wish to do limited money exchanges in form of sending or receiving money across the world covering approx more than 190 countries. The Payza account types permit users to receive money with little fees in compared to other quality players and let them send money for zero fees. For non-residents Bangladeshis, nearly 21 currencies are available as options to send money in Bangladesh by converting them in Taka. Apart from these, these account types support various incentives and referral programs offered by Payza enabled merchants and other referrals.

Type #1: Personal Account
This account type is the most appropriate option for tech-savvy users. As, it lets them to sell/buy online, accept or make payments using credit/debit cards, users can send invoices to their customers if they use this account for business purposes, this account also let them to customize payment process, and send them instant notification on each interactions of either side. Of course, this type of account holders has to bear negligible or small amount of fees for sending and receiving money online or through e-transactions.

Type #2: Business Account
As its name suggests it is exclusively for businesses and enterprises, which have to manage one or more businesses and augment their brands using business names in all sorts of transactions. Therefore, this type of account gives all needed features and functionality for a reputed and intricate business whether doing e-commerce or working on Internet for multiple purposes. No doubt, Payza Bangladesh is recurring fees for such account worth the services it offers, but cheaper in compared to other players in the market for the same user experiences.

If you have any questions or comments, we invite you to share them with us by leaving a comment below or joining us on our Payza Facebook and Twitter pages.

Online Shopping In Bangladesh—Path from Dark Past to Shining Future

In world history, communication technologies have advanced the life of human race in many aspects, and its influences are continuing until today. Unfortunately, Bangladesh had started lately in compared to rest of the world. The scenario of Internet usage and online shopping in Bangladesh was grim before a decade. However, recent moves of government and entrepreneurs have shaded rays of hopes in new generations for a bright future. Let’s take a review that what happened and what will be in next days.

Origin of the Bangladesh and its political history has granted it poor and backward status in compared to its ultimate neighbors. Low literacy rate and adverse social profiles have hastened its march to bright future significantly. Lack of essential infrastructure is apparent in Bangladesh since its inception. Information and communication technology sector is suffering heavily since the beginning. However, in May 2006, a ray of hope emerged when Bangladesh was connected with submarine cable for Internet.

Despite such opportunity, social and economical condition of Bangladesh was not in favor of advance Internet usage due to lack of network and related technologies like high quality modem and 3G networks for mobiles. User profiles were restricted up to affluent class of people. People of higher qualifications and profiles were surfing net regularly so chances of proliferation of online shopping in Bangladesh were deemed until the 2010.

Changes Begun

Afterwards, political will-power and attitudes had changed and government, under the pressures of sizable neo-generation entrepreneurs, have taken steps to developed Information and Communication Technology infrastructure, begun strategy debates, and invested heavily in due course. The maturity of citizens and political stability has infused great will power in to the improvements of the conditions of online shopping in Bangladesh.

Role of NRBD

At present, sizable portion of literate people living abroad and spending the big part of their fortunes to literate their relatives and people of next generation. Their dreams are to simulate lifestyle of the western countries at some extent. Thus, e-commerce storefronts are mushrooming rapidly on the horizon of the web of the Bangladesh. No doubt, there are not robust and secure online shopping experiences exist in compared to its western counterparts, but initiation is there.

 Present Scenario of Online Shopping in Bangladesh

The present scenario of e-commerce is favoring online shopping of essential commodities and fashion apparels greatly. Therefore, online dress shopping, online T-shirt shopping, and buying shoes online are trendy activities of e-commerce shoppers. Of course, trust and security level for online shoppers are a bit low so online shopping by home delivery and online shopping by cash on delivery are favorite mode of payments in Bangladesh.

Online Payment in Bangladesh

Surely, credit/debit card payments and net banking options exist in the e-commerce world of Bangladesh, but usage are limited. The same scenario is blinking for the online money transfer service from the foreign countries and vice verso. Fortunately, some entrepreneurs from Bangladesh and its non-resident citizens have initiate some highly trustful and secure payment gateways and online money transfer portals of offer viable and feasible options for the online shopping and money transfer growth.

No doubt, past and present government agencies have supported such movements from entrepreneurs and encouraged them for secure online money exchange activities. It is noteworthy that Bangladesh is not supporting crypto-currency exchanges due to threats from extremists’ activities, but has trust on reliable 3^rd party payment gateways providers because they can furnish critical data when demanded in extreme situations to the nodal government agencies, but protect data from the miscreants and hackers.

 

RESOURCE

This article focuses on the situations of the online shopping in Bangladesh and have torched the scenario from past to present. Such insights not only help people used to do online shopping or currency conversions, but also the e-commerce development community.

 

Payza Bangladesh - Makes You Save on Sending Money Anywhere

Payza Bangladesh has introduced quite simple yet powerful services under the feature of instantly send money to your loved ones with the least charges existing on the planet for such services. This also breaks the myth of digital divide through technological advancements.
‘SimplySendBD’ where you can

Role of Mobiles

The recent onset of mobile devices usage among all the strata of the society including Bangladeshis, have raised the hopes of some feasible solutions using mobile network. Except smartphones, most of the mobiles are affordable and easy to use for the low-literate Bangladeshis. Initially, it was considered as the dividing technologies for poor and rich. Unfortunately, reverse became true and mobile have filled up the gaps.

Today M-Banking is gaining ground in third world country and easy access of Internet through mobile devices have created a place for big payment gateways to enter in these low-strata population of society easily. Just as Indian government has done in Andhra state, Bangladesh is going to implement its G2P payment system using the modern tools and technologies including mobiles and G3 connectivity.

Cost-Effective Sending Money Options

Fortunately, some entrepreneurs have initiated wise and advanced steps towards this direction and Payza Bangladesh is a front-runner. Payza has made sending and receiving money cheaper and quick through SimplySendBD because you don't need to spend more than 2% or $10 even if you want to send $2K. Apart from cost-effectiveness, easy topping options and quick delivery through various modes including cash pickup and home delivery. In due course, Payza Bangladesh has established 5K retail locations across the country.

Inexpensive and convenient remittance options have made receiving of huge aids like $1.4 billion from developed countries quite easily and affordable. This is a significant improvement in alleviating poverty program. Besides foreign aids, migrant Bangladeshis send approx $11.65 billion money to their home county in one year.

These SimplySendBD and e-wallet like features/schemes of Payza Bangladesh is one of the welcome steps towards empowering this emerging economy. Thus, Payza Bangladesh has created conductive environment for the e-commerce in Bangladesh where anyone can pay, send, and receive money at the comfort of their home and within the shortest laps of time.

Payza Bangladesh— Rapidly Moves the Country Forward

Payza is working with clear goals to make Bangladesh a part of global e-commerce without losing its distinguishing traits and unique identity. It has payment gateways and e-transaction solutions, which can work in highly customized ways to honor the needs and wishes of Bangladeshis and their businesses.

If you take the statistics of Internet access of Bangladeshis, you might find the same scenario that occurred in the west before a decade. There are low quality network with few areas covered, mostly urban areas. Users have biases towards the intentions of e-commerce entrepreneurs. Social, political, and economical adversities are hastening overall growth of country that is also influencing the e-commerce and allied sectors.

However, rapid proliferation of mobile devices and high quality 2G/3G connectivity are hopes that will shorten the timeline of progress. Fortunately, Payza has experienced such transitions and technology transformations in last decade among the western regions of the world. Payza Bangladesh knows the pains of those days and how that all happened. Therefore, it has decided to take present challenges of Bangladesh and smooth the transition process with advent of technologies.

Payza Bangladesh—The Most Appropriate Alternative

In due course, Payza Bangladesh has decided to execute the development strategies for the e-commerce where it will address the young generation first. As young generation is tech-savvy and scrappy to learn as well as adapt the incoming technologies/tools rapidly. Youths of new generation are fanatical to simulate the western experiences in their own milieu. Thus, Payza is giving excellent UX, accessibility, and usability for their e-commerce solutions in form of robust payment gateway solutions and e-wallet projects.

Expectations of Bangladeshis

Bangladeshi government and banks are proactive against the threats of economy and finance of the country. They never like frauds, inflation, and scams, those that pose security threats. Therefore, they didn’t allow international players like PayPal or crypto currencies to happen in localities without expected customizations. Payza Bangladesh has given highly acceptable, feasible, and innovative solutions for Bangladeshi ambiance.

Offerings of Payza Bangladesh

Payza Bangladesh has given superb data exchange facilities with desired security aspects. Its e-wallet like innovative concepts has made online payment service and e-transactions, within as well as across the countries of world, quite easy, fast, and reliable. It has provided many alternatives to topple the local currencies in e-wallet. It has eliminated many long authentication steps during e-commerce payments. These advancements are encouraging outsourcing talents to serve wide spectrum of clients across the globe. Exporters and importers have less stress of money exchanges and within range of local laws.

If you look at the e-commerce scenario of Bangladesh, you will find many established as well as start-up players serving wide range of products and services categories. There are many retailers with excellent delivery services on the web sphere of Bangladesh using the latest e-commerce technologies. Marketplace web portals have bulk of items to offer. In short, with secure and reliable payment services, online shopping is the next future thing in Bangladesh where entrepreneurs have guarantees of good ROI.