Coles launches m-commerce trial | IR News

Coles launches m-commerce trial

Posted Date: 19/02/2013

By Inside Retail

Supermarket giant, Coles, is trialling a new mobile payment system that could see the end of traditional eftpos and loyalty card programs used at the checkout.

The trial, the MasterCard Mobile Wallet, will be tested by 60 people across Australia. Customers will turn on the app at the checkout and connect the phone to the eftpos terminal to pay.

Users also link the app to the their Flybuys loyalty card account to earn rewards as they shop.

The supermarket chain plans to expand the trial over the next three months using smartphones with special SIM cards that function as a FlyBuy card and credit card, reports The Financial Review.

Coles’ GM of financial services, Richard Wormald, said Wesfarmers stores would have PayPass terminals installed by the end of this month, which allow cards and capable mobile phones to be used for payment.

Wormald said the Coles program might replace credit cards with mobile phones at all Wesfarmers stores today but that customers and banks weren’t ready.

“It’s possible that we will [start a mass rollout] of contactless phones within 12 months but we’d need to consider it carefully,” he said.

“One of the reasons it’s been slower to roll out than people expected is . . . that three other parties need to be ready – our banking partner, the network providers and the handset manufacturers.”

“I think you’ll see early adopters of this within 12 months but mass adoption is probably two to three years away . . . because that’s how long most people’s smartphone contracts are.”

Keywords: Coles, Wasfarmers

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