How to grow your payments app with boat and ferry operators
By SendPay Business · · 2 min read
Small boat and ferry operators carry passengers between islands, across rivers and on trips for visitors. Many sell tickets for cash at the jetty and take bookings by phone. A payments app that lets passengers pay by phone, at the jetty or before they arrive, can win these operators, and every passenger who rides with them sees your app.
Talk to operators and passengers
Ask local boat and ferry operators and their passengers:
- How do passengers pay for tickets today?
- How do you take bookings for trips or charters?
- How much cash do you handle in a day, and how do you keep it safe?
- What would make paying quicker at the jetty?
Sell tickets by QR code
A QR code at the jetty or on board lets passengers pay in seconds and show a receipt, with less cash to carry on the water.
Take bookings with a deposit
For charters and trips, a payment link for a deposit confirms the booking, and the balance is paid on the day.
Grow along the route
Operators work alongside guesthouses, tour guides and market traders at each stop. One operator on your app can bring you the businesses along the route.
Build it
Create your own financial platform.
Pick a template, name it, brand it, preview every page before you pay. Your brand, your users, your fees.
Build my platform →Questions people ask
What about minibus and bus operators?
The minibus and bus operators guide covers fares and bookings on the road.
Minibus and bus operators →What about fishing communities?
The fishing communities guide covers how fishers get paid for their catch.
Fishing communities →Can I call it a bank?
In most countries "bank" is a protected word you can only use with a banking licence. Call it an account, a wallet, an app or a platform. The accounts and payments behind a SendPay Business platform are powered by licensed partners.
Is there a step-by-step plan I can follow?
Yes. The free launch checklist takes you from picking your people and naming your app to setting fees, going live and winning your first ten customers.
Digital bank app launch checklist →How do I start?
Pick a template, name it and preview every page before you pay. Your platform can be live on your own domain within 24 hours of confirmation.
Build my platform →Read next
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank, and does not take deposits; regulated services on the platforms are provided by licensed partners. PayPal, Patreon and Substack are named as reference points only and are not affiliated with SendPay Business.