Firm’s mobile post office can now pick and drop parcels

Mpost — a service that turns mobile phones into formal postal addresses — has introduced a pick-n-drop feature allowing seamless delivery of items.

Taz Technologies, the company that owns the Mpost innovation, has unveiled a mobile application in the flagship product to compliment the USSD platform it has been operating on.

The app allows customers to acquire a virtual postal address, renew subscription and request for delivery of items from the post office.

“The pick-n- drop feature offers four delivery options including boda boda, van and lorry services charged per distance as well as messenger service within Nairobi’s CBD for Sh100 up to 600 metres,” said Abdul Aziz Omar, one of Taz Technologies co-founders.

Upon downloading the app from Google play store, one is required to register their name, email address, password and referral code.

The next step is to enter the pickup location details, followed by the delivery location and finally a payment prompt pops up.

READ: From snail mail, Posta gains speed with digital delivery means

The amount chargeable is generated based on distance covered. Mpost, which was unveiled in Kenya two years ago, can best be described as a mobile post office.

The innovation makes a customer’s phone a formal postal address, enabling the person to receive parcels and mail wherever they are.

At an annual fee of Sh300, Posta users receive free alerts on the availability of their letters which they can pick up at the post office or have them delivered to their door step.

Postal Corporation of Kenya partnered with Mpost at its launch in a move aimed at offering convenience to its customers.

Since the launch, the Mpost platform has registered 37,160 customers and delivered 19,542 mail and parcels across the country.

To bring more users on board, Taz Technologies partnered with the Ajira Digital Platform, a government-led, multi-sectoral initiative aimed at introducing young people to online work. Taz initiated the Pata Ajira na M-Post where individuals are paid agent fees for enrolling people on M-Post.

“We started Pata Ajira na M-Post last January which has since created employment for 3,400 individuals,” said Twahir Ahmed Mohamed, Taz Technologies co-founder.