The Managing Director of PayPorte, Mr Bassey Eyo said that the online store, Payporte.com has suspended Payment On Delivery (POD) as part of its payment options.

Eyo said in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday that the decision was in line with the new Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) cashless policy.

It will be recalled that a delivery staff of Jumia, another online store in the country was brutally murdered in Port Harcourt, Rivers, after delivering goods to some customers on the Payment On Delivery basis.

He added that the decision was because of the increasing security challenges posed by POD option and the need to improve customers’ satisfaction.

According to him, only online secured payments and bank transfers will be accepted as means of payment from April 3.

We have suspended the Payment On Delivery option on our website with effect from April 3.

“This is in our bid to better serve customers better and to reposition the business for profitability.

“Our decision was necessitated by the increasing risk and security challenges posed by this payment option. Also to reduce the amount of cash carried from one location to another by our delivery staff.

“We encourage our customers to make use of our other secured electronic payment options such as online payment or bank transfer for payments.

“We believe this will also play an active role in the growth of e-commerce business in Nigeria as well as give a new dimension to the business,” he said.

The PayPorte Head of Operations, Ms Boma Igah said that in line with the suspension, refunds for unsatisfied customers would now be processed within a maximum of 48 hours.

Igah said that only customers who had shopped on PayPorte for five times or more would be able to have access the POD option from April 10, pending its total discontinuation.

She said that the e-commerce platform understood the likely challenges which customers might face as a result of the new policy.

“Customers that have already placed orders using the Payment on Delivery orders before March 3, 2017 will be allowed to pay using that option.

“But for future orders, customers will be required to make payments using our various secured payment options,” Igah said.

PayPorte started business activities in 2014 with products ranging from fashion and fashion accessories, shoes, electronics, smartphones, perfumes and home appliances.

The online store is the sponsor of the ongoing Big Brother Naija reality show.