Coles claims ‘global retail first’ with mobile payment launch
Coles has claimed to have developed a “retail first in mobile technology” which allows customers to pay for their shopping through their mobile phone while collecting loyalty points at the same time.
The supermarket giant said the launch of Mobile Wallet introduces an “entirely new way to pay” for the Australian public, with its combination of credit card and loyalty scheme making it a “global first”.
The payment system allows holders of the Coles MasterCard to pay for goods up to a value of $100 without using plastic. Transactions over $100 will require a credit card.
The system integrates the Coles Pay Tag, a sticker placed on the back of mobile phones, with an app that is available for iPhone and Android. The Pay Tag, which has been the subject of a two-phase trial since February 2013, is linked to the payment details of their credit card and Flybuys account.
The first trial was with 50 tags and the second with 5,000.
Coles general manager of financial services Richard Wormald said 77 per cent of users in the pilot program found the system more convenient than using their traditional credit card.
“We understand that Coles customers are doing even more from their mobile devices whether that be surfing for recipes or managing their finances,” he said. “The Mobile Wallet will provide functionality, a seamless user experience and instant rewards, unlike any other credit card in the market.”
It will put “customers in control of their spending and introduces Australians to an entirely new way to pay”, he added.
In addition to being able to pay for shopping, the Mobile Wallet provides access to a customers’ account balance, credit and transaction history and Flybuys account.
Coles said the Pay Tag offers the same protection against fraud as the Coles MasterCard. The in-built chip also protects against personal details being copied while the Tag can be turned off.
MasterCard Australia senior vice president and country manager Andrew Cartwright said: “With one in two transactions below $100 now made with contactless technology, Australia continues to lead the way in payments globally.
“The Coles Mobile Wallet follows the success of the MasterCard’s PasPass technology and is testament to the growing appetite of Australians for fast, simple and secure payment methods.”
Really? So getting a Coles Master Card then linking it to your loyalty account then applying for the stick then sticking it to your phone is simpler then just swiping your PayPass card?
No your right, I can see hundreds of thousands of people doing this…
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Yep… like I am going to stick a coles RFID tag to my phone and have it stop the RFID capabilities of the phone already? For android would have been smarter to put the capability in the app if the phone has nfc hardware (like the samsungs)..
Then again I could just use one of the other apps that offer this… The only unique thing about coles is they use stickers instead of phone capabilities.
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What makes this a global retail first?
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A global first for a Heath Robinson inspired payments system. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Heath_Robinson
Meanwhile in Sweden: http://www.economist.com/blogs.....e-payments
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A super-aspirational global first …. NOT.
… except for the fact that Japan’s been doing the same thing since 2004, and yes they are linked to earning point loyalty schemes for retailers.
Source: Stanford University Asia-Pacific Research Centre
http://businessinnovation.berk.....ushida.pdf
What’s that I smell? 🙂
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Seriously? Is this some kind of ridicuous joke? Not only is the press release blowing mountains of smoke up Coles’s backside, but this is in no way a world first ..
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“Coles claims …”
Claimed its bread was baked on site, too. Claims schmaims.
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@ Purposeful hahahahahahah!!!
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