Ingenico Group will deploy
With the Google Pay app launch last week replacing Android Pay, the smart tap technology remains an option at checkout for consumers using Android phones at Near Field Communication-enabled terminals. All Ingenico terminals natively support NFC wallets.
"We are pleased to enhance consumer experience at the point of sale with Google Pay Smart Tap," Michel Léger, executive vice president of innovation at Paris-based Ingenico Group, said in a Monday press release. "We are convinced of its relevance for merchants as it reduces the complexity of managing loyalty programs."
The integration in the U.K. represents a first step in an eventual international deployment, Léger said.
Ingenico views the integration as a way to increase the use of loyalty programs during the payment process, while building on the company's expertise in securing payment data and integrating loyalty operations into regular payment transactions. It will also increase brand loyalty and ease the opt-in process for consumers by limiting the opt-in information required via keyboard strokes to enroll.
"We’re excited to work with Ingenico to enable brick-and-mortar merchants of all sizes to make payment smarter and more seamless for their mobile-connected customers," Pali Bhat, vice president of product management for payments at Google, said in the release.
