Mastercard in Partnership with Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) Launches WhatsApp Campaign in Bhopal

Campaign to accelerate digital payments literacy among 63 million merchants across India

In its endeavor to accelerate the acceptance of digital payments among merchants in tier 2 and 3 cities, Mastercard in partnership with CAIT today launched a WhatsApp based educational campaign in Bhopal and Nagpur. Under this campaign, all merchants who are part of CAIT’s network in these cities will receive specially created animated videos through WhatsApp, which portray the benefits of digital payments in day-to-day situations and burst the most common myths around it. The campaign also promises response to queries and issues about digital transactions and prompt support for registered merchants looking at adopting the technology.

Speaking on the campaign, Praveen Khandelwal, National Secretary General, CAIT said, “WhatsApp is the most popular mode of communication amongst the merchant community in tier 2 and 3 cities. As the voice for Indian traders’ community, CAIT is glad to partner with Mastercard to use this medium to fight against prevalent use of cash in tier 2 and 3 cities.”

Manasi Narasimhan, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, South Asia, Mastercard added, “Mastercard research suggests that about 60 percent small merchants still lack awareness on benefits of digital payments and carry misconceptions about its use.  We believe this campaign is a natural extension of Mastercard’s successful consumer campaign titled Khul Gayi Life which was launched in January 2018 and leverages the credibility that CAIT enjoys amongst merchants. Through this campaign, we expect a behavioural change amongst merchants and thereby contribute to the Government’s Digital India initiative.”

To make the content engaging, Bollywood Star and Mastercard ambassador, Irrfan Khan’s animated avatar has been used for the videos. With him as its ambassador, Mastercard launched ‘KhulGayiLife’, a marketing campaign aimed at transforming user behavior and accelerate country's ongoing shift from cash to digital payments.

Mastercard and CAIT will leverage the insights from this project to further the reach to other cities in the country. Earlier this year, Mastercard and CAIT had successfully concluded the ‘Digital Rath’ across Delhi,

Lucknow, Gwalior, Jhansi, Kanpur, Kolkata, Puducherry, Nagpur, Bhopal, Pune, and Navi Mumbai, reaching approximately 1 million merchants.

Click here to watch campaign videos

https://youtu.be/mKsG7oxB0gc

https://youtu.be/KsrHE0r45Qs

Merchants in Bhopal and Nagpur can register for the campaign by sending a WhatsApp message on +91 9222592225.

-END-

About Mastercard
Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry.  Our global payments processing network connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. Mastercard products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone.  Follow us on Twitter @mastercardindia, join the discussion on the Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.

Mastercard Communications Contact
Latika Taneja, +91 98990 10054
latika.taneja@mastercard.com

AvianWE Contact
Ashish Kumar, +91 8860548346
ashish@avian-media.com
Mayuri Dahiya, 8585925739
mayuri@avian-media.com