• BNP Paribas and Carrefour are testing a new secure mobile services model designed to make life easier for the customer
• A ground-breaking initiative, which will be open to all retailers
PARIS, 2016-May-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — BNP Paribas and Carrefour are about to test an application that will enable customers to pay for purchases with their mobile phones, automatically combining standard loyalty services with the payment facility, whatever bank or bank card they use. In just one movement, using only a PIN code, the customer will be able to settle up for his/her purchases both at physical retail outlets, including hypermarkets, supermarkets and local shops, and on the Internet, with the guarantee of still being able to claim their usual loyalty benefits.
For this purpose, Carrefour and BNP Paribas jointly developed a technology platform, which has been operational since 2015. It was designed from the very outset to be open for tech startups to contribute a range of enhanced services. A mobile app called Wa! – which provides paperless electronic payment, loyalty and couponing services – has been created for the test. Experiments so far have shown strong interest among consumers and full-scale tests are now due to be conducted over the next few months in the Ile-de-France (Greater Paris region) at a dozen sales outlets representing the full range of Carrefour store formats. Other retail players with an interest in joining the initiative are also invited to take part in the test.
Connected shopping opens up opportunities to create a new type of relationship with the customer, with greater emphasis on personalisation, mobile facilities, simplicity, accessibility and usefulness. BNP Paribas and Carrefour share the same determination to develop a rigorous basis for this new Customer Experience, especially as regards security and data protection.