Disruptive Aussie courier comparison startup Fast Courier now accepting cryptocurrency

SYDNEY, 1 November 2021: Emerging player in the Australian courier comparison space, Fast Courier, has announced that it is now accepting cryptocurrency as payment for courier services across Australia, the first courier comparison site in the country to offer the digital currency as a payment option.

Vincent Maneno, Fast Courier’s Co-Founder and CEO, said, “We launched Fast Courier a year ago after becoming completely disillusioned with the traditional courier industry, which is old-school and heavily geared towards bigger businesses, where the more services you book, the less you pay. With Fast Courier we wanted to democratise the courier industry, so that individuals and small businesses that only send a handful of packages each year can still access the best possible rates.”

Stephen Murphy, Co-Founder and CTO of Fast Courier added, “The courier industry in Australia is absolutely ripe for disruption; consumers want respect, accountability and freedom of choice, which Fast Courier's cutting edge tech delivers. Adding crypto to our payment options is another way we are levelling the playing field for consumers.”

Australia has the third highest cryptocurrency ownership rate in the world, with 17.8% of Australian adults holding some type of cryptocurrency, compared to the global average of 11.4%  (Finder Cryptocurrency Adoption Index October 2021). With the recently released report from the Australia as a Technology and Financial Centre (ATFC) further legitimising crypto as a valid currency, Fast Courier’s co-founders believe enabling payment for courier services via cryptocurrency is another way they are making the courier industry more customer-centric.

“Adding cryptocurrency to our existing payment options was a very conscious decision,” continued Murphy. “Crypto isn't just an asset class, they are functional currencies, decentralised and empowering for consumers and businesses alike. It’s a viable alternative to the restrictive central bank led payment systems.”

Sydney-based Fast Courier, which has averaged 100 per cent month-on-month growth since launch, initially started as a test project for co-founders Maneno and Murphy, who also run a successful digital marketing agency, Metric Labs. The company has served more than 43,000 users in the last six months alone, and, with business booming, the pair have global expansion in their sights.

“Obviously the pandemic has had an enormous impact on e-commerce all over the world, which has resulted in increased demand for couriers,” explained Maneno. “But it’s like the Wild West out there, with courier companies charging whatever they like, with little transparency for consumers. Fast Courier utilises market-leading technology to compare courier quotes from multiple providers, and delivers the best quote back to the customer instantly. Our customers are saving up to 30 per cent on their deliveries in just a few seconds with a quick comparison check on Fast Courier. As we’re booking large numbers of deliveries we can access bulk discounts, which we then pass on to our customers.”

Alongside cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, Litecoin and USD Coin, Fast Courier also accepts payment via Paypal, Stripe and credit card. Fast Courier has partnerships with some of Australia’s biggest courier companies, including  Aramex, Auspost, TNT, Couriers Please, Fedex, StarTrack, DHL, Toll and Allied Express, offering nationwide coverage.

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Media contact - Rachel McDougall rachel@crystalclearcommunications.com.au


NOTES FOR EDITORS

www.fastcourier.com.au

Vincent Maneno – Co-Founder and CEO, Fast Courier

Vincent Maneno, the Co-Founder and CEO of Fast Courier, is no stranger to the entrepreneurial spirit. Vincent has been an ever-present and key figure in driving business growth for over 10 years, the founder of four innovative companies which started with tea brand Kettle Town, and continues well beyond with a series of data analytics and digital consultancy firms. Vincent is passionate about data analytics, digital marketing and web technologies where he continues to strive to accelerate growth, identify market opportunities and develop strategic direction with every company he's involved with.  

Stephen Murphy – Co-Founder and CTO, Fast Courier

Stephen is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Fast Courier with over 15 years of experience in the fields of emerging technology including Computer Forensics, Cybercrime, Digital Media and Blockchain applications. With a keen eye for digital rights he also participates in organisations such as the Electronic Frontiers Foundation (EFF) and takes an active interest in the future of the internet's infrastructure. 

Cryptocurrency adoption in Australia

Source: Finder Cryptocurrency Adoption Index October 2021

• Australia has the 3rd highest rates of cryptocurrency ownership of the 22 countries surveyed by Finder, with 17.8% of the population owning crypto
• The global average for cryptocurrency ownership is 11.4%
• Of the Australians that own crypto:
  • 65.2% own Bitcoin
  • 42.1% own Ethereum
  • 26.4% own Cardano
  • 23% own Dogecoin
  • 14.6% own Binance Coin
• There is a wide crypto ownership gap by gender, with 21.8% of males owning crypto compared with 14.1% of females.