NEW YORK – JAN 25, 2018 — Payoneer, a leading cross-border payments company, announced today that Waze uses its services to power secure, local payments for Waze Carpool (http://www.wazecarpool.com). Waze Carpool connects riders and drivers with similar routes to commute together for a greener, more affordable commute while reducing cars on the road. Unlike transport-for-hire services, Waze Carpool drivers are everyday Wazers and do not earn a salary. Instead, commuters use the new Waze Carpool app to find a match traveling in the same direction; riders then use the app to pay the driver a rate up to the federal mileage rate to cover the cost of gas and wear and tear. By selecting Payoneer, Waze provides drivers an easy, flexible way to receive these payments through their mobile phones, backed by industry leading, secure data protection technology.
Waze, which was acquired by Google in 2013, boasts over 90 million users around the world. Waze Carpool is now fully live in Texas, California and Israel, with plans to expand soon. In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the company also offered these services for free in Texas and Louisiana to help those affected by the storm. As part of their mission to improve the lives of commuters, the company gathered information from users on transportation conditions in the area and assisted the local community in overcoming the obstacle of having over a million cars lost in the disaster.
Waze Carpool required Waze to take payments as a company for the first time, and as such, the navigation pioneer turned to Payoneer to solve several unique challenges. First, as a company that interacts with users entirely through its app, Waze needed to find a payment provider that would offer seamless mobile payments for a smooth user experience. Second, Waze wanted to offer commuters a truly local experience, so payments needed to be easily withdrawn to a local bank account, in the driver’s local currency. Most importantly, the company needed to offer users the level of security in their payments that is expected of the world’s largest internet company and Payoneer was a clear choice.
“The protection of our users’ data, and compliance with all legal and fiscal regulations, is a top priority,” stated Josh Fried, Head of Waze Carpool. “When selecting a payment provider, we need to ensure that they are tightly regulated and that their data protection protocols meet Google’s strictest standards. At the same time, it’s crucial that the payment process is convenient, highly localized, and 100% mobile. Our goal is to help connect commuters that live and work near each other, so it was critical to find a provider that is easy and convenient for anyone to use, all over the world. Payoneer is a world-class provider who has met all of our needs.”
“We’re honored and thrilled that Waze came to Payoneer to meet their payment needs,” said Scott Galit, CEO, Payoneer. “Creating a fully mobile and integrated payment solution that would meet their high expectations was a challenge we were excited to take on. Waze’s goal of helping connect local communities through a global network perfectly complements Payoneer’s mission to connect the digital economy. We look forward to helping Waze expand their carpool services to communities all over the world.”
About Waze:
Waze is the social navigation pioneer, leveraging mobile technology and a passionate global community to redefine expectations of today’s maps. Waze is home to the world’s largest network of drivers who work together daily to outsmart traffic and save time and money. The app consistently recommends the fastest routes based on real-time driving and data from millions of users. From traffic reroutes to low gas price alerts and relevant offers from favorite brands, Waze is one of the most comprehensive driving companions in the marketplace. To download Waze for free for iOS or Android, visit www.waze.com.
About Payoneer:
Payoneer empowers global commerce by connecting businesses, professionals, countries and currencies with its innovative cross-border payments platform. In today’s borderless digital world, Payoneer enables millions of businesses and professionals from more than 200 countries to reach new audiences by facilitating seamless, cross-border payments. Additionally, thousands of leading corporations including Amazon, Google, Airbnb, UpWork and Getty Images rely on Payoneer’s mass payout services.
With Payoneer’s fast, flexible, secure and low-cost solutions, businesses and professionals in both developed and emerging markets can now pay and get paid globally as easily as they do locally. Founded in 2005 and based in New York, Payoneer is venture-backed, profitable and ranked in the top 100 of Inc. 5000’s Financial Services companies.
