ING presents its SoftPOS application with CCV

Dutch bank ING has announced a partnership with international payment solutions provider CCV to develop an application that can turn any Android smartphone into a payment terminal. This partnership illustrates once again the potential of Soft Pos.

FACTS

• ING and CCV have therefore created a mobile application for professionals with Android tablets or smartphones. This partnership also involves other parties. While ING handles the transactional processing of payments to merchants, the software company Cow Hills provides a mobile cash register. For the time being, the service only works on the ZEBRA mobile devices used by many retailers, but it is intended to be adapted to any Android device.

• The Soft Pos application is designed to turn devices into contactless payment terminals, combined with a cash register (supported by a second application). Simply called SoftPOS, it allows users to cash out their customers anywhere.

• The application supports contactless payments with Mastercard, Visa, Maestro and V PAY and via Apple Pay and Google Pay.

• HEMA will be the first retailer to test the SoftPOS solution in a real-life situation in three of its outlets from mid-September. If the pilot is successful, the retailer intends to roll out this innovation on a larger scale.

CHALLENGES

• Lightening the equipment: No need for a cash register or payment terminal, the first promise of SoftPOS is to lighten the equipment of professionals as much as possible by allowing them, from a simple smartphone, to collect their sales wherever they are.

• Facilitate the work of employees: The SoftPOS application is not, however, presented as a tool for remote or mobile sales. It is also intended to enable sales staff to better serve their customers in shops by allowing them to pay anywhere in the store. HEMA, the first commercial partner to adopt the solution, is in fact the head of a large chain of shops.

MARKET PERSPECTIVE

• The war on mobile payment has intensified. The arrival of Apple in the battle has obviously aroused a lot of interest and the traditional players are working hard to strengthen their position.

• The web giant has thus presented its own solution dedicated exclusively to its iPhones and called Tap to Pay. A solution quickly adopted by some market players such as Adyen and Stripe, eager to take advantage of Apple's marketing appeal. There remains a problem specific to Apple, concerning its anti-competitive positioning and the closure of its services within its ecosystem.

• This is not the case for the Android environment, which is open to multiple brands and manufacturers. Various Soft Pos solutions exist under Android. The players on this market are redoubling their creativity to enhance the value of these payment terminals.

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