Tag: qr codes

Mobile payments initiative meets success

Homeland Stores, a regional supermarket grocery chain based in the U.S., has concluded a pilot program for its mobile payments initiative. The SwiftScan program, as it is called, was initially launched in June of this year and was meant to demonstrate the benefits of mobile payments in the retail sector. The technology for the retailer’s mobile payments platform comes from Double Beam, which has significant experience in the mobile commerce sector.

Application uses QR codes as alternative to NFC

The SwiftScan application is meant to allow users to pay for groceries using their smartphones. The application functions in the same way that typical mobile payments services do, facilitating transactions through the use of authentication systems designed to verify the identity of its user. SwiftScan also makes use of QR codes, which are becoming a relatively common mobile commerce tool. The codes are typically seen only in marketing, but have been gaining traction in the mobile payments sector as an alternative to NFC technology.

Retailer to expand availability of mobile payments app

The pilot program took place at 20 of Homeland Stores’ locations. The program has been considered a success, which means the retailer will be expanding the availability of its mobile payments application to 26 additional locations by the end of October. The company notes that consumers have responded very well to the application and the services it provides, providing the retail with sufficient encouragement to continue pursuing mobile payments aggressively.

Mobile commerce continues to gain ground with retailers

Mobile payments services are becoming more common among retailers as consumers begin showing more favor for mobile commerce in general. Technology and financial firms like Google and PayPal are not the only ones offering mobile commerce platforms to consumers. Retailers are developing their own platforms in the hopes of establishing a strong presence in the mobile payments field. Thus far, few retailers have been able to accomplish this goal, but the mobile commerce field is still relatively young.

UniCredit and First Data are now conducting a pilot of their first smartphone based transaction solution.

The Italian bank called UniCredit has entered into a partnership with First Data in order to test a new mobile payments service that will be based on the scanning of QR codes.

The pilot is now officially underway and the companies await the first data to gauge its successes.

The testing of the service has already begun, and is using the Mobile Gateway from First Data in order to both generate and to exchange the QR codes required for the mobile payments system transactions between customers and merchants. According to First Data, this system provides the customer and the merchant with a number of different benefits.

The QR codes based system allows for a higher level of security and a lower number of risks per transaction.

By scanning QR codes, it takes out the risks that are connected with having to enter credit card details for making mobile payments. At the same time, First Data also stated that this type of system makes it possible to take advantage of value enhanced service applications, such as offers, coupons, tickets, and paying bills.

The pilot for the system using the QR codes is now underway as the first of a number of different mobile payments services upon which the partnered companies have already agreed to embark. They will be working together in a number of different markets around the globe in order to introduce these new smartphone based services.

According to the First Data president of international regions, John Elkins, “UniCredit has recognized the opportunities that Universal Commerce offers and we are delighted to be working with it to make this a reality for its international customer base.”

There have been a number of different mobile payments services that have already been introduced around the world that currently use QR codes as the method of completing the transaction. Among the most famous for its successes is the system that was implemented by the Starbucks chain of cafes. Its achievements have become a solid example of the possibilities that the technology has to offer.