Amazon.com Inc is now accepting cash payments at Mexico’s top corner store chain, Oxxo, the two said on Monday, opening a major channel for the e-commerce leader to reach millions of people in the country who rely heavily on cash.
Oxxo, owned by Mexican conglomerate Femsa, has nearly 18,000 stores across Mexico, where nearly 60 percent of the population lack bank accounts, posing an obstacle for online shopping.
Amazon in Mexico began accepting cash payments in 2017 at several convenience store chains, including 7-Eleven. The partnership with Oxxo, which already accepts cash for a number of online merchants including Amazon competitor MercadoLibre, will vastly expand the company’s reach.
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Under the service, called Amazon Cash, shoppers can deposit between 100 pesos and 5,000 pesos ($5 and $260) per transaction to their Amazon accounts online, with a daily limit of 10,000 pesos. Amazon will reimburse a 12-peso commission charged by Oxxo per transaction, the companies said.
The chain already partners with Amazon on a package pick-up program in some 3,000 Oxxo stores, aimed at serving shoppers who live in areas where home delivery is complicated.
Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon in Mexico City; Editing by James Dalgleish
