What is Zoho Pay?

Zoho Pay is a dedicated consumer payments application focused on security and ease of use. According to Sivaramakrishnan Iswaran, CEO of Zoho Payments Tech, the app is designed to offer a “smooth, secure, and integrated payment experience.”

The key differentiator for Zoho Pay is its dual availability. It will function both as a standalone application and, more notably, be deeply embedded within Zoho’s homegrown chat platform, Arattai. This integration aims to make financial transactions a seamless part of everyday conversations.

Seamless Payments Within Arattai Chat

The integration of Zoho Pay into the Arattai chat platform is a significant step. It allows users to make transactions without ever leaving their chat interface. Imagine splitting a bill with friends or paying a local vendor directly within the same window where you are messaging them.

This “chat-and-pay” feature enhances Arattai, which already supports group chats, video calls, and file sharing, transforming it into a more comprehensive tool for both personal and small business communication.

Zoho’s Broader Fintech Ambitions

The launch of Zoho Pay is not an isolated product release but part of a larger, incremental strategy to build a comprehensive financial services ecosystem. Zoho already has a foothold in business payments and point-of-sale (POS) solutions.

With this new consumer-facing app, Zoho is signaling its intent to expand beyond payments into areas like lending, broking, insurance, and wealthtech. The company’s philosophy of building long-term, self-sustaining businesses underpins this ambitious fintech roadmap, which also includes new solutions like Zoho Billing and deeper banking integrations for Zoho Payroll.

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The Road Ahead for Zoho Pay

Currently in internal testing, Zoho Pay is expected to be rolled out in phases over the coming months. Entering a market dominated by major players is a challenge, but Zoho plans to leverage its strong reputation among businesses and its integrated product stack to attract users.

By offering a trusted, integrated, and seamless payment solution, Zoho Pay aims to carve out a niche for itself, serving the transaction needs of both individuals and small businesses across their entire lifecycle.