brazilian delivery startup 99 on the up and up with new same-day driver payments with bepay
Contxto – Sometimes delivery jobs are more than just a part-time gig or side hustle but a bonafide career. The reality of the situation, though, is that they’re often bereft of many protections or benefits.
For the sake of fast money, the Brazilian transportation startup 99 has partnered with a hereto unbeknownst fintech known as BePay. Using Near Field Communication, BePay’s online and offline payment solutions will provide “instantaneous” payments to drivers for orders due “within 24 hours.” Strange definition of “instantaneous”, but hey-ho!
“With these features, we offer innovative solutions to make life easier for drivers,” said Davi Miyake, 99’s Chief Operating Officer. This will be part of 99’s recent financial division, Card 99, which will be part of this scheme.
Same-day payments with 99 and BePay
Working from paycheck to paycheck can be quite unpredictable, so same-day payments are certainly an approach to provide financial stability to those who need it most. In total, around 600,000 drivers could sign-on for this service for speedy liquidity. While some reports claim that transfers could be made within one second, others say within 24 hours.
This startup has a pretty intriguing backstory if you ask me. While 99 was once the Brazilian version of Uber, Chinese mega-competitor DiDi Chuxing acquired it back in 2018. This was quite a curveball that they threw the industry. Mind you, the DiDi affiliate still operates under the 99 brand.
Ever since then, it has pretty much been on an upward trajectory.
Most recently, it premiered its own delivery service, 99Food, which coincided with DiDi debuting in Costa Rica. Last summer, 99 also collaborated with Hitech Electric for an electric car pilot in the Brazilian state of Paraná for some urban laid-back driving.
All in all, both of these upgrades will provide stiffer competition throughout the industry. The question is—which sector are we talking about here? From transportation to delivery, startups such as 99, Uber, and Rappi are certainly blurring the lines as jacks-of-all-trades.
-JA
