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A couple of seemingly disparate articles caught our attention this week, since both talk about trends in charge card use, and though not immediately related, both speak to coming customer expectations about ease-of-use with charge cards, and the “ubiquity” factor – being able to go “cashless” in more and more places.
The first was an article on CNETthat talked the “Mobile Payment Craze.” The article states that while there’s “been a lot of talk lately about mobile payments and how new apps or NFC technology will let you pay for things with your smartphone.. the truth is that this market is less about finding a new way for you to pay for things and more about offering you an easier way to carry and redeem coupons and special offers.”
The article then mentions “the most successful mobile payment system to date,” which is non other than “the Starbucks app, launched in January 2011 (which)has processed 55 million transactions.” But the punchline is that it’s not just mimicking the conve
nience of a credit card, but “because it’s also your loyalty card.” In other words, it’s coupons, it’s the discounts — it’s the perks and incentives.
Another industry article talked about more and more transit agencies gearing up to accept cards for payments instead of cash — contactless “swipes” at a customer’s point of entry on a bus, or at a subway gate.
Where both these articles converge is the idea of ubiquity and convenience. If your customer is already using her card for coffee and her train ride to work, she’s certainly going to be able to expect to use it when she’s buying from you. Make sure you’re up to date with the best options for your business, including On-the-Spot processing, M-commerce, and more. Do you you offer customer loyalty rewards as well?
Call your AVPS representative today to talk about expanding your company’s payment options to serve your customers’ current — and coming! — needs.. before the train leaves the station!
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