Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
Mercator has upgraded its mobile application Moj M to a mobile wallet M Pay that allows the use of their Pika card on a smartphone. With the M Pay app, the smartphone itself becomes enough to pay a quick meal or a weekly purchase.
Same as with a plastic card
Moj M mobile app and M Pay mobile wallet are available for all smartphones regardless of the operating system (iOS or Android) and for all Kinds of Pika Card – blue, credit card and green and gold cash cards. The app allows the same use of the Pika Card on the phone as we use it in its plastic form. With the M Pay app, you collect and monetize Pika credits, you can buy in instalments, and use coupons. The most popular coupon is 25% discount on the selected product that is already on the Pika card, meaning it’s also available via the app on your phone.
For all existing users of the Moj M app, who can immediately check the status of their Pika credits, past transactions and monthly reports, the app will also automatically show the M Pay icon, and within several steps (entering the credentials for Pika card), users can transfer their Pika card to their phone. New users can download the app through Google Store or App Store (iPhone).
The payment procedure at the cash register is equally simple. The buyer opens the app, shows the cashier the QR code of the card on the phone. By scanning the code, system recognizes the card and assigns Pika points. The procedure is thus ended. If a customer wants to pay a bill with their Pika card, they can do so at the cashier’s through their mobile phone same as they used to pay with cash, debit or credit card.
Krešimir Ležaić, assistant to president of Mercator’s IT and Telecommunications Administration, said on the occasion of M Pay’s introduction: “I am convinced that customers will recognize the M Pay Mobile Wallet as a great tool that will be useful every day. A special challenge was to prepare the project, develop it and roll it to the market in a very short time. In doing so, our goal was not to be the first, but to become the most popular. Since M Pay is truly useful and convenient, I believe that every day more customers will decide to use it. So far we have recorded 50,000 app downloads. We expect that by the end of the year that number will be doubled. M Pay, or Mercator’s mobile wallet, is just at its beginning, as it is a platform for new services that will soon follow. Digitizing Mercator’s sales channels is a prerequisite for the development of modern shopping experience.”
Preparations for the M Pay Mobile Wallet began four months ago. From the end of March to the end of April, Mercator replaced several thousand POS terminals in all their stores and at the Pika Partner stores, because the Pika points are also collected by shopping with partners. Even for the largest retailer in Slovenia this was a huge financial and operative challenge.
You can also have contactless payments
Mercator has also enabled a wider availability of contactless payments where no card code scans are needed at all. Almost all newer phones with Android operating system allow contactless or near field communication (NFC) payments.
With the NFC turned on, you can pay up to €15 by simply placing your phone near the POS terminal, while payments above €15 are done so that the buyer opens the mobile app, with the QR code showing on their screen, and pointing it at the terminal.
Adoption of contactless payments is soaring in the world, but Slovenes are still a little restrained. Research that Mercator conducted in March, in collaboration with the Ninamedia research firm, showed that less than a third of respondents are very fond of paying by mobile phones. Among them, men and younger subjects showed above the average enthusiasm. Those who stated that they would not use mobile phones for payment highlight that they don’t fully trust the security of such systems.
Security of personal data
What happens to the personal data used by the loyalty system? This topic is particularly relevant since the recent adoption of the GDPR in the EU. Mercator uses only the personal information necessary for the operation of the Pika card system. Due to the credit function of the green and gold Pika cards, and the delayed payment or payment in installments, collection of certain personal data is necessary, similar to the ones in banks. Personal data on card holders are strictly separate from the purchasing data that is encrypted. These data may be processed for sale purposes (for the preparation of special offers, convenience, etc.) only for those who have agreed to it in writing. And no, Mercator does not look at when and what you bought, because it would be meaningless. Data isn’t shared with anyone or anywhere. They are encrypted only for the preparation of special offers for those who want it. It is pointless to send the same offers to all customers because certain groups of customers are more open to certain products, ie. vegetarian or organic products. The goal, therefore, is completely clear and transparent, and the system is modern and safe. Even the professional supervisory institutions with which Mercator is in regular contact have no objections to their system.
Same as the best abroad
Andreja Možina, Director of Direct Marketing and Pika at Mercator, says: “Mercator simply has to offer the most up-to-date services because it is expected by the largest Slovenian retailer. Mercator was the first in Slovenia to introduce a commercial loyalty card, Internet store, self-service cash register and M scan mobile, and mobile wallet was a logical development of contemporary shopping experience. The system at Mercator’s stores is similar to that in most European countries. Mercator’s loyalty Pika system has been praised many times in overseas professional trade circles. The system, which is used by more than 680,000 active Pika card users has been working for 18 years, and needs to be constantly evolving. This is a great system that we constantly modernize, upgrade and improve, because, despite the small market, our customers are highly educated and, to a great extent, demanding. They expect and desire a similar experience as in stores abroad. We certainly want to provide that in the future, as shopping becomes part of our everyday activities, but it will be faster, more enjoyable, and safer.”
Nearly one billion euros of turnover per year is realized through Mercator’s Pika loyalty system. That’s 56 million transactions, by 680,000 active Pika card holders. Mercator’s online store delivers orders to 600 locations in Slovenia and grows at about 30% annual rate. Self-service cashiers are used by more than 50% of Mercator’s customers of all age groups, and they were “adopted” as soon as they were installed. Younger users are delighted with M scan that allows scanning the product by yourself. 600,000 purchases took place this way last year alone. Many also use the M scan mobile on their smartphones. Almost 50,000 downloads of Moj M app were made, and this number, according to forecasts, will be doubled by the end of the year. Customers therefore want to have a choice, they want the features that suit them, and make shopping easier for them.
No longer having to rummage through our wallets for cash and cards is not a thing of the future, but our current reality. There will be more and more convenience that contactless payments will provide. Shorter time at cashiers is just the first of many. Smart card on a smartphone is unstoppably penetrating Slovenia.