What is a super app?

Our smartphones are jam-packed with different apps. Surveys show that people living in different parts of the world have an average of 30-80 (😱) apps on their phones, with only a few apps being used every day. Most apps are only needed once a month or even less, so in a sense, they are just taking up space on the phone screen and memory. 

Just imagine. You open one app, browse through tonight's concerts in town, and buy a ticket with just one tap. You arrive at the concert, park your car, and then pay for parking through the app. After the concert, use the same app to get a taxi (because sometimes it's best to leave your car in town after a good party). 

The term super app was first used in 2010 by Mike Lazaridis, the founder of Blackberry. In his speech, he talked about the next generation of mobile apps, which would eventually make people wonder how they ever lived without them in the first place. He then described these apps as an ecosystem made up of many other apps. His vision turned into reality. 

In Asia, apps such as WeChat, Alipay, Grab and Gojek have become very popular. Super apps are also emerging in the West, with Facebook and Twitter perhaps having the most potential to become all-in-one platforms. 

Paysera is best known in the Baltic region for its payment gateway service – Paysera Checkout - and the mobile app for everyday financial management. However, the company is also shifting away from the mobile wallet concept introduced in 2014, which was focused (essentially) on financial transactions, and is heading in the direction described by Mike Lazaridis in 2010 – towards a single ecosystem that can accommodate 10, 20, or even more mobile apps. 

Paysera already offers the possibility for other mobile apps to integrate into the Paysera app and reach thousands of new, registered, and verified clients. Paysera's app is now not only a convenient way to manage your day-to-day finances, but it can also help you buy event tickets, donate to charities, buy gold, find the right loan partner, invest in real estate, pay for parking, send parcels, and much more. 

All you need to do is select the parameters of your parcel in the Paysera super app, confirm the payment, and that's it, the formalities are completed and the parcel is ready to be sent. Simply take it to Paysera's growing Lockers network (only in Lithuania for now) and the parcel will start its journey.

Not everyone can afford to buy an entire apartment and then rent it out. That's why Paysera will offer to invest in properties selected by its partner InRento, a crowdfunding platform, on its app. The minimum investment amount will be affordable for most people and will start from 500 EUR. 

Switching parking payments on or off will be even easier for Paysera clients, without the need for a separate app. The parking payment feature is expected to be available first in Vilnius (Lithuania) and Tirana (Albania). 

Buying gold bars and coins on the Paysera app is already possible, and with the launch of the super app, we will take the user experience of buying gold to new heights. Of course, it's always a good time to buy gold, as history has taught us that gold retains its value. In the long run, Paysera hopes to expand its precious metals portfolio by adding silver and platinum.