Erajaya, ITOCHU and PayJoy Bring Next-Generation Smartphone Financing to Indonesian Consumers

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Apr 11, 2018, 09:46 ET

JAKARTA, Indonesia, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- PT.Erajaya Swasembada Tbk, PT ITC Auto Multi Finance, a division of ITOCHU, and PayJoy have announced the launch of their next-generation smartphone financing in Indonesia. ITOCHU will use PayJoy's proprietary Checkout software platform to qualify and approve Indonesian customers for monthly payment plans in Erajaya's Erafone stores across Indonesia, requiring only a national ID, Facebook account and an active phone number. This new financing option represents a breakthrough in Indonesia, where according to the GSMA there are 1.4 mobile connections per adult, but less than half the adult population has a smartphone and credit card penetration is only 5 percent.

ITOCHU logo

This expansion of global connectivity and mobile internet adoption, otherwise known as Digital Inclusion, extends both economic and social benefits to unconnected populations, fueling a cycle that reduces poverty, improves infrastructure and services, and further increases internet access and usage.

"Today's announcement with ITOCHU and Erajaya is another step towards fulfilling our mission to make smartphones accessible to more people," said PayJoy's CEO and co-founder, Doug Ricket. "Our technology enables distributors to offer installment financing options to customers who have no access to credit and may not be able to afford a smartphone. This deal will put the internet and all the tools smartphones offer in the hands of more people in Indonesia, enabling growth that comes with having a more connected population."

Atsushi Hashimoto, General Manager of Communication & Mobile Business Dept. at ITOCHU, said, "We are pleased to be a part of this deal that will put more smartphones into more people's hands in Indonesia. ITOCHU is proud of the work we have done to create a more connected world and this is one more example of bringing together technology, distribution and capital to create a winning solution."

The smartphone, with its improved availability and affordability, is quickly becoming a fundamental tool for accessing mobile internet, in developed and developing countries alike. The opportunity for companies in the mobile space to shape the future of this rapidly growing market – and the lives of consumers in Indonesia – is enormous.

About PayJoy
PayJoy was founded in 2015 in San Francisco with the mission of making smartphone technology and financial services affordable to everyone worldwide. PayJoy's patented technology for locking smartphones and proprietary data science for underwriting customers enables people who lack credit to qualify for an installment plan to purchase their first smartphone. Today, PayJoy offers finance to millions of customers in the US and Mexico, and is expanding throughout Latin America, Asia, and Africa in 2018. PayJoy's team of 60 professionals bring premier fintech experience from Google, Facebook, Amazon, PIMCO, McKinsey, Oportun, and Merrill Lynch. PayJoy is funded with over $30M of equity and debt from top fintech investors including Union Square Ventures.

About ITOCHU
ITOCHU, based in Japan, is one of the leading general trading companies. ITOCHU engages in domestic trading, import/export, and overseas trading of various products such as textile, machinery, metals, minerals, energy, chemicals, food, general products, realty, information and communications technology, and finance, as well as business investment in Japan and overseas. ITOCHU was originally founded in 1858, and has approximately 120 bases in 63 countries.

About Erajaya
Established in 1996, Erajaya conduct of business activities importer, distribution and retail trade of telecommunications equipment such as mobile cellular phones and tablets, subscriber identity module card (SIM card), vouchers mobile network operator, accessories, and gadgets such as computers and other electronic devices . In 2011, Erajaya officially became an open company and sold its shares on the Indonesia Stock Exchange, making Erajaya the largest and most trusted company in its business in Indonesia.

SOURCE PayJoy