Nigerian fintech startup Carbon launches social banking service

Nigerian fintech startup Carbon has launched Carbon Express, a keyboard extension that allows customers to access its services from within whatever app they are using.

Consumer lending platform Carbon, which rebranded last year as parent company OneFi continues to transition into being a full digital banking platform after raising US$5 million in debt funding and acquiring Nigerian payments startup Amplify, has been busy expanding its offering, and has also moved into new markets with a Kenyan launch.

Its latest service – Carbon Express – enables users to initiate and complete transactions such as P2P transfers and bill payments from the keyboard without launching the Carbon app or leaving the app they are using. Instead, they will be able to access services from the touch of their keyboard enabling quicker Instagram or WhatsApp commerce.

Carbon Express maintains the same PCI DSS compliant model of encryption, authentication, and security as Carbon’s other services, thereby guaranteeing the security of all transactions. The feature relies on the keyboard technology of smartphones to facilitate transactions. The technology adds a unique Carbon branded button to the customer’s smartphone keyboard which they can tap anytime to perform transactions.

“This is a step in the right direction for Carbon as we aspire to go everywhere with our customer,” said Chijioke Dozie, chief executive officer (CEO) of Carbon. “People are spending a lot of their time on social messaging apps like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp, and it is only natural that some of the conversations they have on these platforms have to do with money. With Carbon Express, we are merging social conversations with financial services – meeting customers where they spend a lot of their time.”

The startup has also introduced Carbon Score, a loyalty scoring system that rewards customers with benefits such as healthcare, additional referral bonuses as well as exclusive first access to some of its new features.

“We want to continue to build a mutually beneficial relationship between our company and our customers and what better way than to reward their loyalty and discipline,” Dozie said.