Empowering merchants is now possible with next-level Android solutions

In today's rapidly evolving world of commerce, embracing innovation is essential for businesses to answer consumer demands and secure their growth. Let’s hear from Fabien Darné, Head of France and Benelux at Ingenico, who explores how merchants can be empowered to do just that.

As a passionate advocate of technological advancements, I firmly believe that Android is the key, having the potential to reshape the retail landscape and beyond. In fact, at Ingenico we expect to see a significant shift towards Android, with the core market share increasing from 33% in 2022 to 54% by 2027.[1]

First, what are the merchants looking for?

In my opinion, there are three main strategies that each merchant is looking for to drive sales. Today, with Android, each strategy has the payment terminal at its heart, as the point of sale has become a centre for revenue growth.

1. Attracting new customers

By delivering new customer experiences, merchants can differentiate themselves and attract tech-savvy consumers seeking convenience, innovation and personalised interactions. To name just a few examples: gift cards, digital wallets, QR codes and palm vein recognition. This is even easier today with Android's versatility and user-friendly interfaces which allow merchants to integrate a wide range of business applications, catering to diverse customer preferences.

2. Increasing basket size

Discount programmes, loyalty benefits, personalised offers and so on... Android's flexibility empowers businesses to embed a comprehensive portfolio of services in addition to traditional payment. By embracing these new strategies, businesses can not only enhance the customer experience but also drive engagement, leading to increased basket size and improved customer satisfaction.

3. Earning valuable commissions

Did you know that Android has become a “channel” for the distribution of new services? Any merchant can sell new services, unrelated to their business. By integrating with our PPaaS – Payment Platform as a Service, business partners, third party providers can effortlessly distribute tailored apps to merchants, enabling them to monetise customer interactions and expand their business potential. It is a win-win model for all.

Concretely, how can Android applications provide the answers?

I explained previously what merchants are looking for to reach their revenue targets. I also highlighted the key role of Android in this new world of commerce.

This is no longer theory.

We have been working with partners to enrich our catalogue of applications. These fruitful efforts have resulted in a powerful ecosystem from which merchants can select applications to empower their business.

To illustrate, here are three examples of just some of the excellent applications that are available for businesses to use as part of our ecosystem.

• Diggecard - gift card expertise and technology

Diggecard was one of our first partners in the digital gift card space and I’m delighted to see their offer being made available at the point of sale on Ingenico’s solutions. Not only a new revenue stream, gift cards are a tool for getting customers and keeping them. Did you know that, as per the research from UKGCVA, 31% of Gen Z and Millennials have become regular customers of a new brand after being given a gift card? For businesses that haven’t fully explored the benefits, I recommend reading this article by my colleague Matt Dougherty in our North American team: Ingenico | The Right Time for Merchants to Upgrade Their Gift Card Solutions

See Diggecard’s solution in action in this demo video:

• Izicap – turning your POS device into a loyalty tool

Izicap’s solution really is a powerful all-in-one loyalty tool for merchants – a great example of how digital innovation can empower them to bring in more revenue. The card-linked CRM and loyalty platform provides a data-driven digital marketing solution that’s very easy to implement. Customers can be quickly enrolled into a loyalty programme directly on the Ingenico device. All that’s needed is a phone number so the process is simple, fast and efficient. And the best part of all? It’s fully automated, the aim being to save the merchant both time and money.

See Izicap’s solution in action in this demo video:

• Splitit – Buy-Now-Pay-Later services

With Splitit’s solution, customers can benefit from Buy-Now-Pay-Later at the point of sale, leveraging their existing credit so they don’t need to take out a new loan. This is the first one-step card instalment solution to be embedded on the POS device. For businesses the benefits include increased sales and customer retention. I think this is once again an excellent example of how embracing innovation can help merchants to grow revenue.

See the solution in action in this demo video:

The ultimate question now is “How can merchants access these new apps”?

In addition to empowering businesses with the latest applications, I understand the importance of a seamless onboarding experience for merchants. Ingenico has invested in highly innovative terminal estate management solutions so businesses can remotely update their estate to adapt and enhance their offerings in real time. This allows them to deliver the latest features, and benefit from security enhancements and new functionalities without disruption or manual intervention.

Ingenico is not only offering the best-in-class Android technology but developing a whole ecosystem around it: payment apps SW, partner apps, estate management, security, seamless authentication and so on. My vision is to provide businesses with the means to thrive in an ever-changing landscape, where efficiency and agility are paramount.

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Sources:
[1] Ingenico Insights. Figures represent countertop, portable and retail PIN pad Android devices, and exclude China.