Walmart-backed PhonePe announced its ‘Made in India’ SmartSpeaker for merchants on Monday. It is a wireless speaker that can verify payments received over the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) instant payment system via real-time audio alerts. The device comes with a built-in speaker and is available in up to 21 language options. As per the company, it brings significant improvements over the original speaker, such as a battery life exceeding over seven days on standby. The PhonePe SmartSpeaker also gets 4G connectivity support.
PhonePe SmartSpeaker Features
PhonePe says its new ‘Made in India’ SmartSpeaker retains all of the popular features of the previous model. This includes the celebrity voice feature for voice-based notifications and availability in 21 language variants. The new variant utilises the 4G network, which is said to result in higher network reliability when registering payments made by customers to the merchant. The PhonePe SmartSpeaker comes with fast charging capabilities and can get completely charged in about 75 minutes.
As per the company, ithe speaker has a battery life which can exceed seven days on standby. Similar to other smart speakers in the market, it provides audio alerts in real time about successful UPI payments to merchants.
“With these SmartSpeakers, we are not only driving financial inclusion for merchants nationwide, especially in underserved areas, but also fostering domestic innovation and ensuring that Indian manufacturers become integral participants in the country’s digital transformation”, Yuvraj Singh Shekhawat, Chief Business Officer of Merchant Business at PhonePe, said.
As per the company, the built-in speaker provides better audio clarity while its compact form factor provides merchants with flexibility when placing it in congested counter spaces. PhonePe advertises its SmartSpeaker as made in India, a move which is claimed to allow them to tailor the product to the specific needs and preferences of the local merchants.
How Much Does It Cost?
Merchants have two ways of getting a PhonePe SmartSpeaker. The monthly plan entails a one-time setup fee of Rs. 318 and a monthly subscription charge of Rs. 125, which is debited from the settlement every 30 days via UPI Autopay. Meanwhile, the zero-rental plan includes a Rs. 999 one-time setup fee and a Rs. 25 monthly subscription charge.
The digital payments and financial services company says that the monthly fee will be deducted until merchants cancel their SmartSpeaker subscription.
