Germany’s Munich Airport has become the first airport in Europe to offer a new mobile, cashless payment system in a retail location.
The solution was developed by Wirecard in cooperation with SES-imagotag and Wirecube, while Eurotrade, a subsidiary of operator Flughafen München, laid the cornerstone for its introduction at Munich Airport.
Consumers can pay for items with their own smartphone directly at the shelf using an electronic price tag, without having to wait in line at the checkout. Instead of paying via an app, the customer pays via a mobile website, meaning that, unlike similar solutions in the European market, users do not need to download an app beforehand.
To shop and add items to the shopping cart, customers simply hold their smartphone in front of an SES-imagotag digital price tag. The product is registered either via near field communication (NFC) or by QR code scan. After a few seconds, the smartphone automatically opens the mobile web app by Wirecube, where the customer can easily complete the purchase. To do so, the customer can either scan their credit card via their smartphone’s camera function or enter their credit card data manually. Alipay is also available as an alternative payment option.
Munich Airport’s 48 million annual passengers can now use the new mobile payment solution for a select range of products in the ‘MyCorner’ store in the Terminal 2 passenger area. The solution is being piloted in a high-traffic area frequented by a mostly international audience. Following the pilot phase, the solution will be extended to other Eurotrade units, including 12 duty-free shops and 14 other shops selling press items, travel goods and souvenirs.
The Commercial Development, Retail, Concessions & Media stream will offer more insights into creating a customer-friendly retail experience. The full program for Passenger Terminal CONFERENCE 2020 can be found here.