Near Field Communications Handsets and Tags, NFC Pilots and Projects

ViVOtech, Eagle Eye to provide NFC mobile coupon service to retailers

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

ViVOtech, a Santa Clara, Calif. provider of contactless and NFC mobile phone payments and UK-based Eagle Eye Solutions, a mobile couponing provider, have agreed to integrate their respective systems to provide a consolidated solution for retailers.

The new partnership will enable retailers to issue mobile vouchers to customers–promotional, gift, loyalty, etc.– either via standard SMS text messages or directly to NFC-enabled mobile phones ready for redemption at the point of sale.


All vouchers will be identified and redeemed via the Eagle Eye Mobile Interactive Voucher Redemption System. This will provide retailers with straight-through processing and real-time tracking, allowing them to create accurate return-on-investment calculations and negating the current issue with paper coupons of malicious redemption.

It works like this: a coupon is issued by Eagle Eye Solutions via a text message. The text contains a voucher code which can alternately be provided through ViVOtech-enabled smart posters that contain an NFC tag. This allows consumers to tap their NFC-enabled devices on the poster and the ViVOtech platform provisions the voucher that can be personalized based on the customer’s profile and location.

This voucher code can then be redeemed by entering the eight-digit number through an Eagle Eye redemption terminal. If the voucher is issued to the NFC-compliant phone, then the coupon is redeemed by touching the phone to the contactless reader at the point of sale. The voucher code is automatically recorded and redeemed.

Through this technology, retailers can offer promotions such as “buy one, get one free” or “10% off,” and mobile gift cards to all customers who have a mobile device while at the same time harness real data on customer behavior and trends. [end] 

VeriFone Systems has completed its acquisition of Point, Northern Europe’s largest provider of payment and gateway services and solutions for retailers.

According to VeriFone, Stockholm-based Point has operations in 11 European countries and serves a network encompassing nearly 475,000 merchant contracts. Through this network, Point offers retailers a range of multi-channel services and solutions, including point-of-sale technology and support, gateway services, card encryption services, and e-commerce processing.

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Japanese mobile operator KDDI has announced that it will launch NFC-based commercial services with Japan Airlines, credit card issuers, retailers and loyalty program providers, reports NFC World.

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Clothing retailer Gap has announced that 65 of its stores across the Bay Area have adopted Google Wallet.

Customers at selected Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Banana Republic Factory Stores and Gap Outlet stores can now pay for their items and redeem digital coupons all with a single tap of their NFC-enabled mobile phone at checkout.

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PayPal has announced that it will launch its first-ever pilot of NFC retail payments in Sweden for the holidays, according to Mobile Payments Today.

The company has partnered with Swedish mobile banking and payments provider Accumulate to deliver PayPal Instore, a new mobile payments app for Apple and Android smart phones.

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Google has announced that The Container Store, Foot Locker, Guess, Jamba Juice, Macy’s, OfficeMax and Toys’R’Us have joined American Eagle in rolling out the full Google Wallet ‘SingleTap’ solution.

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