A firm and sturdy gateway can significantly assist the e-Commerce field in a world revolving around multiple transactions every second. Extending his service and contribution to this ever-growing industry, Omar Sahib, the Founder & Chief Executive Officer at WEBXPAY, shares his victorious journey in transforming traditional transactions to a simple click of a button. 

Acquiring over 14 years of substantial experience in the banking and fintech industry, Omar stands tall among the most influential entrepreneurs in the country. Revolutionizing digital engagements, he initiated WEBXPAY six years ago. This dynamic twist in transactional activities has hurled the company forward with great success. 

Omar stepped into his career working at a leading local bank and later progressed at a top global Payment Service Provider Company. He was entitled to various tasks from a Credit Analyst to Head of Products & Business Development, engaging with Sri Lankan and Maldivian clients. Managing a clientele list of about 200 merchants consisting of a portfolio of USD 20Mn, he was a protégé in his custody, including his knowledge in Product & Business Development, Process Streamlining, IPG integration support, marketing, and office branding. He gained much familiarity working alongside product development teams from Hong Kong, the UK, and the US to add an innovative touch to the Sri Lankan market, which instilled a holistic understanding of online payments and the fintech industry. Attaining a well-grasped acquaintance of the core market needs within a local context, Omar credits his knowledge of payment gateways and banking transactions to his extensive experience in the banking and payment sector. 

WEBXPAY was a concept that started in my mind in mid-2014. I started drafting the concept in a Google sheet and was working on the document for almost a year before I registered the business in December 2015”, he shares. During his time working at the Global Payment Service Provider Company, Omar’s epiphany was his realization that “Sri Lanka needs a cost-effective, one-stop-shop and easily accessible place to obtain a payment gateway”. 

When payment gateways were causing massive financial turmoil, Omar introduced WEBXPAY, which achieved three main objectives: a cost-effective product, a user-friendly interface, and a platform with 360o trajectories. Since then, WEBXPAY has evolved, meeting the growing demand for various new features among its diverse client base. 

WEBXPAY, the first Sri Lankan payment gateway aggregator, grew from a handful of merchants in 2015 to over 2000 in just five years. WEBXPAY has engaged with international payment brands such as Visa, MasterCard, China Union Pay, American Express, Discover, Diners Club, WeChatPay, and AliPay. In addition, the brand is connected to numerous local banks such as DFCC virtual wallet FriMi, Upay, Genie, Ezcash, Mcash, Lanka QR, and Sampath Vishwa.

Omar further explains, “WEBXPAY enabled merchants to create invoices, create payment links, and QR code generators through the WEBXPAY merchant portal with the intention to reduce the time it takes for a business to go online and start accepting customer payments”. The most recent innovation in the company is the Discount Gateway which permits clients to engage in Bank-Card-Type based Promotions with absolutely no additional costs. Discount Gateway makes WEBXPAY the first organization to cater to local businesses assisting them in uplifting their eCommerce capacity. “We keep investing in merchant-focused technology developments to give them sufficient tools to increase their online sales”, he adds constantly. 

Omar also emphasizes the importance of a CEO-Employee Relationship. Although amidst a viral pandemic, WEBXPAY managed to constantly uphold a firm payment procedure with their employees in terms of salary and financial increments. He mentions the initiation of ESOP at WEBXPAY to highlight and distinguish the hard work and dedication contributed by their employees. He appreciates and says the possibility of reaching precipice heights within WEBXPAY was made possible by the “dedicated account managers, around-the-clock service, and ease of access. This makes us a company that helps businesses off the ground at their speed by putting their interests first.”

WEBXPAY caters to the SMBs with an increasing demand merely because of their persistent levels of convenience and services offered. There are three critical products involved at WEBXPAY; X-Gateway, X-Gateway Enterprise and X-Wallet. 

Additionally, The Government of Australia and The Business Partnerships Platform (BPP) have chosen WEBXPAY as a partner in Sri Lanka to empower Sri Lankan Micro and Small Businesses!  This partnership aims to increase income levels of the rural communities in the country, eradicate unemployment, build entrepreneurial culture, empower women entrepreneurs in the country and thereby contribute to sustainable economic growth in Sri Lanka. 

Saturating Omar’s vision “To empower grassroots upwards to understand the secure and easy-to-use nature of online transactions while demystifying the process and making it accessible to people from all walks of life” he follows the 3Ds rule of Dedication, Determination and Daring. He concludes by stating, “Any solution that you come up with should solve a bigger customer problem”, as a boost to keep his company going.