Digital money transfer firm Azimo has integrated Facebook Messenger, enabling senders and receivers to connect through their friend lists on the social network.
To use the new feature, a sender opens the Azimo app, enters how much they want to send and to whom and then chooses to request the recipient's details on Facebook Messenger. This person then sees a Messenger message telling them to enter their details to receive the funds.
Within the Facebook app they put in their bank details or pick one of over 270,000 collection points around the world and send a message back to the sender who can then use the information to make the payment and any future payments.
Azimo says that the new functionality addresses two major painpoints for users; the risk of mistyped payment details and delays in receiving information, therefore slowing down the entire transferal service.
Michael Kent, CEO, Azimo, says: "Sending money should be as easy as adding a friend on Facebook. With 250 million migrants around the world sending over $600 million dollars home every year to family, friends or businesses, the new feature creates an unprecedented shared ownership, putting the receiver in as much control as the sender."