Zoho launches Arabic e-commerce store builder, integration with Tap Payments

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Making two announcements, Zoho Corporation said it has launched a right-to-left (RTL) Arabic website builder for its Zoho Commerce platform; and has integrated its apps with Tap Payments, a leading payment solutions provider in the Mena region.

Hyther Nizam, President of Zoho MEA, said: “In today's economy, a digital presence is critical for businesses to survive and thrive, and we hope entrepreneurs here will take advantage of our technology to catapult their growth."

He said businesses can set up their online stores in Arabic using Zoho Commerce, accept payments, and manage orders and shipping, all from a single platform.

Zoho Commerce is now among the few global vendors to offer a built-in RTL website builder, with no required plugins, coding configurations, or paid templates.

With this feature, more businesses in the MENA region — even SMEs with limited resources — will be able to build their e-commerce stores in Arabic.

The platform currently integrates with 13 leading payment gateways, including PayTabs, PayPal, 2Checkout and Stripe. The integration with Tap Payments is set to go live soon.

At the same time, the integration with Tap Payments will enable Zoho users to accept digital payments in a convenient, secure, and seamless way.

It will help businesses improve cash flow by getting paid sooner and reducing the costs involved in physical transactions.

With Zoho's Tap Payments integration, businesses can accept multi-currency payments and extend the convenience of multiple local and global payment options, — such as mada, Knet, BenefitPay, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express— to their customers. The integration will be available across various Zoho apps, including Zoho Books, VAT-compliant accounting software that offers e-invoicing provisions in line with local laws.

Commenting on the partnership, Ahmed Al Aradi, EVP of Business for Tap Payments said: “We are excited to announce this partnership with Zoho and enable a seamless online payment experience to their merchants and customers. Similar to Tap, Zoho is a leader in the ecosystem that can now offer their customers an easy access to the MENA payment ecosystem instantly without any integration requirements.”

ZOHO'S GROWTH

In 2021, Zoho grew by 52 per cent in the Middle East and Africa region, the second-fastest growth region for the company.

Zoho also grew its partner network by 55 per cent and tripled its workforce in the region.

Speaking on Zoho's approach to expansion in the Middle East and Africa, Nizam added: "Our transnational localism approach has helped us expand organically in the region, as it is a strategy where our company growth is rooted in local business ecosystem development and community progress.

“Aside from increasing our on-ground presence with new offices and hiring local talent, our focus over the years has been to help local entrepreneurs through partnerships with government bodies and local business networks. We are also evolving our offerings to serve the needs of the local market." –Tradearabia News Service