Banglalink users to get 4G smartphones through bKash ‘PayLater’ service

Mobile operator Banglalink has inked a deal with bKash and the City Bank to offer the ‘PayLater’ service for their joint customers to make smartphones affordable.

According to the agreement, customers will be able to avail of City Bank’s nano-loan-based collateral-free PayLater option in the bKash app to purchase smartphones from Banglalink centres and its smartphone partner brand outlets having bKash merchant accounts, says a media release.

The new partnership enables customers to avail of the transition from 3G or 2G devices to a 4G smartphone, where eligible customers will receive a loan of up to Tk 30,000 at zero per cent interest, provided it is repaid within 7 days.

Besides, customers will also be able to buy smartphones in 3 to 6 months instalments with 9.0 per cent interest per annum.

This offer, available at all Banglalink points, will assist more in adapting digital services for the customers.

Erik Aas, CEO of Banglalink, has inaugurated the service at the Banglalink Center in its head office in Dhaka.

Upanga Dutta, chief commercial officer of Banglalink, Ali Ahmmed, chief commercial officer of bKash, and Md Arup Haider, head of retail banking of City Bank, and other high officials were also present at the inauguration ceremony.

At the same time, they inaugurated ‘Smartphone Fest and PayLater Mela’ highlighting attractive smartphone portfolios of major device brands bundled with Banglalink Internet benefits at lucrative prices.

Banglalink customers and employees will be able to purchase smartphones from the festival using bKash PayLater service.

Under the PayLater service, eligible customers will get a limit of Tk 500 to Tk 30,000 loans instantly through the bKash app. If a customer is unable to fully repay within seven days, then that PayLater will convert into a 3-month loan with a 9.0 per cent interest per annum.

In the 6-month repayment option, a customer needs to make an upfront payment for 20 per cent of the total payment amount and the remaining 80 per cent will be divided into six equal monthly instalments.

The instalments will be paid automatically on the specified date of every month. Customers will also have the option of early repayment.