MarketForce scales operations into multiple markets with a single KYC integration
The numbers that matter
Onboarding time
ID matching accuracy
Watch MarketForce Grow: 5 new markets, 1 KYC provider
MarketForce found a robust solution in Smile ID's Biometric KYC system, which allowed them to integrate a single API endpoint for verification. This partnership streamlined their KYC process across the board and significantly accelerated their expansion efforts
About MarketForce
MarketForce, a company that initially developed a product to support businesses with large field sales teams, has undergone a significant transformation. Originally designed to enable real-time tracking of sales activities, the company soon recognised a greater demand in the FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) industry for tools that could offer comprehensive visibility into sales performance and overall business operations. Imagine MarketForce as a super app meticulously crafted for retail merchants, equipping them with essential tools to optimise their daily operations. At the heart of their offerings lies the ability for merchants to place real-time orders and receive deliveries within 24 hours. Yet, MarketForce goes beyond this fundamental service. They've seamlessly integrated financial tools such as "buy now, pay later" and actively assist merchants in diversifying their product offerings, including airtime, power tokens, water tokens, and insurance, creating an additional revenue stream for their businesses. MarketForce currently operates in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Tanzania, with aspirations to expand to more countries. However, one of their biggest challenges in this expansion journey is adapting their processes to suit the unique characteristics of each market they enter.
Challenges with expansion
When MarketForce embarked on its journey to expand its services to several African countries, it faced a few considerable challenges. 1. MarketForce needed to verify partners in every country they expanded into and plan for future scale, however, they did not want to integrate with many vendors. They worried that added integration could potentially impact reliability, expose them to increased fraud risks, and add complexity to their product. 2. Many merchants in their markets have experienced fraud through offering online services or accepting mobile money payments. This has made them especially cautious about what apps they install on their devices or what entities they trust to handle their transactions. MarketForce needed to build trust with sceptical e-commerce merchants who have been burned by online services in the past. Addressing these challenges required an effective solution with an ID verification partner they could trust as they expanded their services across Africa
Partnering with Smile ID
Smile ID's Biometric KYC solution has proven invaluable in MarketForce's expansion journey across diverse African markets. Through a single API, they can now reliably access government data in each country they operate. They can also access both business and individual databases within the same API, so every merchant they encounter can onboard seamlessly. Smile ID has played a pivotal role in verifying users and thwarting fraud attempts within MarketForce's "Buy now, pay later" service. This added layer of security has been instrumental in ensuring the integrity of their financial services and building trust with local merchants. Their users now confidently use MarketForce for all types of transactions knowing their products and money are well-protected and they are working with verified users.
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