Blackhawk, a
leading prepaid and payments network, has announced
a partnership with Barclays Bank PLC to
launch a wide range of eGifts onto its Pingit mobile banking service. Categories include entertainment, dining,
gaming, fashion, health, beauty and
leisure, for purchase as gifts or for self-use. The launch on Android and iOS
device applications is scheduled for later this month.
Originally
launched in early 2012, Barclays Pingit was Europe’s first free service for
sending and receiving money using only mobile phone numbers. It allows anyone
over 16 years old to make speedy payments using just a mobile number. The
service is connected to the bank accounts of Barclays customers, who in turn
are able to send and receive funds. For non-Barclays customers, a digital
wallet is created so easy payments, top-ups and withdrawals can be made.
For
its eGift proposition, Pingit utilises the latest cloud-based environments and
dynamic wallet capabilities to deliver a fresh and innovative eGifting
solution. The free service, available to UK consumers regardless of whether
they have an account with the bank, has proven to be a popular mechanism for
sending money to friends and family as well as small business and individual
traders, who can receive payments from customers quickly, easily and securely.
“Gifting through mCommerce is a leap forward for the
payments market. For businesses, e-gifting is a cost-effective way to acquire
new customers and maximize incremental spend,” said Matthew Howe, managing
director, Europe at Blackhawk Network. “For consumers, the ability to purchase
and send gift cards across digital channels provides far greater ease and
convenience than having to make a trip to a particular merchant to purchase a
physical gift card.”
Available
with top entertainment, fashion, dining and digital content brands, Blackhawk
Network’s gift card solutions benefit merchants by offering a broader customer
acquisition channel, greater opportunity for incremental sales and the
increased intelligence facilitated by easier customer data capture.
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