First UK mobile network operator to introduce mobile card payment solution
offering boost to smaller businesses
We've announced a new Mobile Point of Sale service (mPOS), with Visa Europe and Global
Payments which allows retailers to accept credit and debit card payments simply via mobile
technology.
mPOS makes accepting card payments a breeze for retailers and customers. A low cost
chip & PIN Pad accessory is connected to the retailer's existing Smartphone or tablet via
Bluetooth. A free eMerit app downloaded on the mobile or tablet manages the card payment
transaction, and then sends the customer a receipt via email and/or SMS if required.
It's available on Android and BlackBerry now, with the iOS version coming soon.
MD of O2 Money, James le Brocq said: "At O2 we understand the importance of the mobile
device in digital payments. Our new mPOS service has the ability to transform the revenues
of smaller businesses and sole traders by offering their customers the ability to pay with
Visa or MasterCard credit or debit cards as an alternative to cash.
"mPOS is the latest addition to our portfolio of financial products and services which
includes mobile insurance, tablet insurance and more recently, O2 Wallet, an innovative
new service designed to digitise your physical wallet onto your mobile."
Chris Davies, Managing Director of Global Payments, said: "We are excited to be
working with O2 on such an innovative product and we're really looking forward to working
together to provide SMBs with access to new payment opportunities."
Sandra Alzetta, Senior Vice President of Mobile at Visa Europe said: "This latest
innovation is an exciting partnership for Visa, O2 and Global Payments. We want to unlock
the value of electronic payments for smaller retailers - by getting this device into the
hands of tradesmen, home-based businesses and market stall operators, we believe we can
help them sell more products and services to consumers who forgot to withdraw enough
cash."
Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN) is a leading provider of electronic transaction
processing services for merchants, Independent Sales Organizations (ISOs), financial
institutions, government agencies and multi-national corporations located throughout the
United States, Canada, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
Global Payments, a Fortune 1000 company, offers a comprehensive line of processing
solutions for credit and debit cards, business-to-business purchasing cards, gift cards,
electronic check conversion and check guarantee, verification and recovery including
electronic check services, as well as terminal management. Visit http://www.globalpaymentsinc.com for more information about the company and its
services.
About O2
O2 is the commercial brand of Telefónica UK Limited and is a leading communications
company with over 23 million customers - read more about O2 at http://www.o2.co.uk/news. O2 runs 2G and 3G networks and was the first to trial
4G/LTE, reaching speeds of over 100Mpbs, as well as owning half of Tesco Mobile. It also
operates O2 Wifi, O2 Health and has recently launched the O2 Wallet. O2 employs over
11,000 people in the UK, has 450 retail stores and sponsors The O2, O2 Academy venues and
the England rugby team. Telefónica UK Limited is part of Telefónica Europe plc which
uses O2 as its commercial brand in the UK, Ireland, Slovakia, Germany and the Czech
Republic and is a business division of Telefónica SA.