Cambodian software development firm Pathmazing officially launched its Tesjor mobile application for meal ordering yesterday, aiming to kickstart digital payments in the country by only offering cashless transaction options.

The application allows users to order food from 85 restaurant outlets in Phnom Penh for dine-in, pick up or delivery. The platform is backed by several digital payments options, including partnerships with Wing, Pay&Go, Acleda Bank, as well as integration with ABA Bank’s newly developed PayWay payment gateway that enables payments for Visa and MasterCard holders.

Steven Path, CEO of Pathmazing, said during the launch ceremony that the primary purpose of the app was to place Cambodia on a trajectory towards a more digital economy and widespread e-commerce activity.

He added that Tesjor was currently the only platform in the country that relies entirely on digital payments.

“Today, we believe that e-commerce is at the launching pad, and we are going to experience explosive growth, especially in the next couple of years,” he said. “What we believe, in order to accelerate e-commerce, is that we need to require e-payments.”

Tesjor aims to instil trust in online payments to help steer customers away from their reliance on cash and spur the growth of digital payments and e-commerce, Path explained.

United States Ambassador William Heidt emphasised during a speech for the event that Tesjor was developed by Cambodians and represented a source of pride for the burgeoning tech sector in the Kingdom.

“The launch of Tesjor is great news for Cambodia’s tech sector as well as concrete proof for one very important thing, and that is that the ingredients for successful tech ventures are now in place in Cambodia,” he said. “This is an app that I am pretty sure is going to revolutionise the dine-in and carry-out business in Cambodia, and eventually the tourism business too.”

Tesjor, which translates to “tourism” in Khmer, also intends to position itself as a platform for tourists visiting Cambodia through which they could pay for nearly all their expenses directly on the app. Minister of Tourism Thong Khun has endorsed the application for its potential benefits to the country’s tourism sector.