Skip to main content

Contactless and NFC set to grow finds CARTES commissioned survey

As the number of smart phone and tablet users continues to soar, consumer purchasing behaviour will change and consumers will increasingly opt for the convenience of contactless cards and NFC-based payments in the next three to five years. This is one of the findings of a new study into retail payment technology trends, commissioned by CARTES Secure Connexions Event and Payments Cards & Mobile, which also revealed that difference stakeholders have different priorities when it comes to the next generation of
October 30, 2013 Read time: 3 mins
As the number of smart phone and tablet users continues to soar, consumer purchasing behaviour will change and consumers will increasingly opt for the convenience of contactless cards and NFC-based payments in the next three to five years.

This is one of the findings of a new study into retail payment technology trends, commissioned by CARTES Secure Connexions Event and Payments Cards & Mobile, which also revealed that difference stakeholders have different priorities when it comes to the next generation of payment technologies:

•    Consumers are looking for quicker, more convenient and secure payments with the capability to handle discount vouchers

•    They do not trust QR codes and mobile magnetic strip points of sale, seeing them as the least secure option

•    Retailers are hoping to use the technology to gather information on existing customers and attract new ones

•    Loyalty cards, discount vouchers and data on consumer preferences are the services which add the most value for retailers, who believe contactless cards, traditional cards and NFC mobile cards and wallets are the best technologies for developing these services.

The survey also identified conflict between providers when it came to next-generation point-of-sale payment services. Banks and card system operators are seeking to head off competitors in the payment methods sector. The Banque Accord has already developed its own NFC application called Flash’n pay, allowing consumers to scan their articles in store, to access discounts in real time and pay with their own mobile terminal. Consumers are attracted by several features of the new payment methods, including paperless billing and loyalty cards, discount vouchers, product information, scanning and paying for articles using personal devices and location-based services. Retailers told the survey that if these new services make it possible to boost sales and attract new customers, they are willing to invest in new systems. Commenting on the report, Isabelle Alfano, Director of the Cartes Secure Connexions Event said the emerging market for contactless payments presents a challenge for retailers when it comes to picking the right technology. “Although the major players in retail are aware that they have to meet the challenge of mobile payments to secure the loyalty of existing customers and attract new ones, they do not yet know in which technologies it is worth investing. Many questions about the new payment methods remain to be answered but this also means there are opportunities to be seized.”

Related Content

  • 'Choose your own adventure': ITS World Congress All-Access
    September 15, 2020
    The Los Angeles ITS World Congress has moved online: Shailen Bhatt of ITS America explains to Adam Hill why everyone should get involved in this global conversation – and how networking will still be a key element because 'human beings are gregarious, we want to be together'
  • Xerox to help revolutionise parking at Geneva airport
    March 30, 2012
    Xerox has won a contract to replace Geneva Airport’s entire parking management system for its 20 parking lots featuring more than 7,000 spaces, including walk-up pay stations, parking guidance and a global monitoring and management system which will connect with the rest of the airport’s computer systems. As part of a ten-year contract, travellers will be also able to receive information about flight delays, gate changes or customised information when they arrive at the airport parking lot.
  • Camera technology a flexible and cost-effective option
    June 7, 2012
    Perceptions of machine vision being an expensive solution are being challenged by developments in both core technologies and ancillaries. Here, Jason Barnes and David Crawford look at the latest developments in the sector. A notable aspect of machine vision is the flexibility it offers in terms of how and how much data is passed around a network. With smart cameras, processing capabilities at the front end mean that only that which is valid need be communicated back to a central processor of any descripti
  • New service allows car drivers to pay tolls via their mobile phone
    November 14, 2012
    Easytrip, Ireland’s largest provider of electronic tolling payment services has launched new Charge2Mobile toll payment service, in partnership with O2. Said to be the first of its kind, the service will provide a more convenient channel for paying tolls on Ireland’s M50 for car drivers who currently pay by cash. Available immediately to O2 customers in Ireland, Easytrip hopes to roll out its Charge2Mobile tolls offering across other networks over the coming months and to add to its support team for this ne