Crédit Agricole Proposing M-payment with iCaisse
- On 10 September, Crédit Agricole launched a new iPhone-dedicated contactless mobile payment app working with iCaisse in the Visa network.
- The iCaisse carrying case for iPhone (manufactured by DeviceFidelity) is required for this new NFC app.
- The app applies to purchases below 20 euros in all stores where contactless payments are accepted. It is easy to use and payment validation only takes a second.
- It also provides the consumer with other options such as detailed transaction history (description of his purchases and personal finance management) as well as customisable security parameters (password and management of payment preferences).
- Crédit Agricole has partnered with Gemalto to deploy mobile NFC payment solutions in the beginning of the year and has launched Kwixo in June 2011. Through this initiative it intends to strengthen its position in the m-payment sector. Other players, such as BNP Paribas, are also ambitioning to have a share in the mobile payments market. This initiative, however, remains symbolic as only few Visa payWave acceptance points are available in France.
- In France, 3 million people have already tested m-commerce apps and the number of Smartphones is still on the increase (+200% in Q1 2011 vs. Q1 2009). Several players are now trying to have a share in this market, including non-banking ones: Buyster, partnership between Orange and BNP Paribas, as well as between Boku, SFR and Bouygues, etc.