Winner of the Best Case Award at the Third Case Conference organized by The Case Hub at the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business, American University of Beirut.
Akrim is a digital platform that allowed customers to pay cashless tips directly to service workers using the QR code reader technology. Service workers from different industries, such as valet parking and delivery, could benefit from this service by signing up with Akrim and obtaining a QR code. The objective and socioeconomic impact of this cashless tipping solution were clear in the mind of Farah Tabsh and the other cofounders of Akrim; however, the implementation entailed many challenges that needed to be addressed. This case describes the journey of setting up this fintech company within the UAE, the unique tipping product features, and the key challenges encountered in promoting this two-sided market solution.