Payment service provider Worldline has reinforced its partnership with French conglomerate Carrefour.
Just in March this year, a total of nine Carrefour Proximité stores have been equipped with Worldline’s proprietary Scan & Pay technology.
Ariane Pottlitzer, Head of Digital Services & Products at Worldline, said: “Worldline is pleased and proud to be working with Carrefour Proximité on implementing digital tools able to respond to its customers’ expectations and ensure secure payments.”
At its core, the solution is an in-store self-scanning app that provides customers with the ability to shop autonomously. The app does not require any downloading, as it is web-based and can be accessed from a browser. An internet connection is needed only for checkout.
The shopping experience consists of four stages which are scanning a QR code upon entering a shop to gain access to the app, scanning items along the way, paying for them using a smartphone device and finally, showing the receipt to an employee before leaving the premises.
Eric Thomas, Project manager of IT coordination at Carrefour Proximité, added: “The way in which we shop and pay for goods and services has changed dramatically.
“The health crisis has only increased the pace of change that was already happening, and contactless payment or payment by mobile phone have become essential services for customers of these stores.”
Expert Analysis: Worldline and Carrefour are both partners that recognise the evolving nature of consumer habits and their increased expectations of how a user-friendly customer experience should look like. These changes fall in line with the progression of the payment sector, with seamless mobile payments being at the centre of attention.
A study by Kantar and Paylib found that mobile payments have doubled over the last two years in France, with half of French people willing to use their smartphones for in-store purchases. Moreover, a Harris Interactive study from 2017 showed that 76% of customers would decide against buying an item if they experience long waiting times at checkout.
