Carrefour Expects Contactless Cards To Save A Lot Of Time

Contactless cards could reduce time spent in checkout lines by 40% to 60%, Frédéric Marzurier, administrative and financial director of the financial-services subsidiary of France-based retailer Carrefour Group, tells CardLine Global.The subsidiary, Société des Paiements, has issued 2.5 million MasterCard-branded contactless cards since launching the product about nine months ago. Consumers have been able to use the cards for purchases at Carrefour stores since September, and now they can do so in some 700 Carrefour supermarkets and 24 Carrefour fuel stations. The Carrefour contactless cards include a loyalty application that enables consumers to earn cash-back rewards and discounts on purchases. The spread of contactless payments to one of France's major retailers could prepare the merchant and its customers for contactless mobile payments based on Near Field Communication technology, Marzurier adds.