Online payments system launches… offline

With the rise of mobile payments, many businesses have forgotten to cater for those with no access to credit cards, but a new service named Kwedit is changing the trend.

The service, which caters for consumers over the age of 13, allows users to make online purchases by paying for them at various offline retail stores.

Two payment models are available – Kwidt Direct and Kwedit Promise. Kwedit Direct prints a payment slip after users make a purchase online, or choose to have a barcode sent to their phone. They then go to a participating retailer and pay for their purchase.

Kwedit Promise allows users to receive virtual goods and digital content immediately in exchange for a “promise” to pay. Users who are late in paying will be given a bad “kwedit” score, preventing them from buying from other retailers.

The business has already formed a partnership with 7-Eleven, creating nearly 6,000 payment outlets. But so far, no international launches have been announced, so Australian users may not see the company on local shores for some time.