Can Facebook Credit Boost Digital Transactions in Indonesia?

MOL (Money Online Group) and several payment companies in Indonesia such as WarehouseVoucher, Oke Shop, and several large banks have officially formed a partnership where GudangVoucher is allowed to sell MOLPoints which is the virtual currency of MOL. MOL itself some time ago announced its collaboration with Facebook to integrate MOLPoints with Facebook Credits.

Long story short, now you can buy Facebook Credits via GudangVoucher, OkeShop and also BCA, Mandiri, LippoBank and Bank Niaga. Facebook Credit itself is being introduced by Facebook to its users in the Asian region after previously being quite successful in the US. By using Facebook Credit you can buy Virtual Gifts, for example sending virtual flowers to girlfriends, or sending digital gifts for friends' birthdays.

The question that comes to my mind is, can this Facebook Credits be an online payment solution for local startups?

Facebook Credit is a micro-payment solution developed by Facebook since 2008, aimed at users who actively send virtual gifts as part of the social experience on Facebook. However, micro-payments on one of the largest platforms on the Internet actually have enormous potential to advance e-commerce in countries that are new to the Internet industry, including Indonesia.

Look at how many startups are engaged in e-commerce but do not have a qualified and integrated payment gateway. That's just from the e-commerce side, later all startups that will monetize their services will have to start thinking about how users will pay online.

Consider a possibility when Facebook allows Facebook Credits to be accessed via its Facebook Connect platform. All sites that require payment will be able to integrate online micropayments into their paid services, and of course users will tend to prefer Facebook over other payment platforms.

However, given that Facebook is also partnering with PayPal, it's unlikely that Facebook Credits will enter Facebook Connect, as it competes directly with PayPal. Oh well, who knows?

What do you think, can Facebook Credit help digital transactions in Indonesia? We are waiting for your answer and analysis in the comments column.

thx @kuswanto for the tip