MVoucher to Help Deliver Targeted Offers to Ever-More-Mobile Consumers
CTIA WIRELESS 2011 – ORLANDO, March 22, 2011 – First Data Corporation, a
global leader in electronic commerce and payment processing, today
introduced mobile vouchers (mVoucher) for merchants looking to extend their
brand and commerce services to their ever-more-mobile customers. First Data
mVoucher enables merchants to deliver offers to consumers through e-mail or
their mobile device.
Sometimes referred to as coupons, mVouchers store a prepaid value funded by
the merchant or consumer product goods company. Mobile vouchers can be
delivered as coupons, loyalty rewards, promotional rewards, contest rewards
or general marketing initiatives. The virtual offer can then be used for
redemption online or in-store through a mobile device as an SMS (short
message service) or 2-D barcode, and ultimately through contactless exchange
such as Near Field Communication (NFC).
With major merchants already signed and using mVoucher, First Data is
helping its customers take advantage of this latest trend in loyalty and
personalized marketing program development.
“Innovations in mobile services and applications have catalyzed the consumer
adoption of sending real-life gifts and buying daily deals in real time from
a mobile device. As people continue to embrace this mobile lifestyle, First
Data mVoucher will enable merchants to instantly deliver targeted offers to
their most loyal customers even while they are in the middle of shopping as
well as drive more foot traffic through their doors,” said Dom Morea, SVP
and division manager, Advanced Solutions and Innovation, First Data.
How mVouchers Work
The consumer requests or receives a mobile voucher either through a banner
ad, short code, loyalty program or as a special promotion. The mVoucher
system also provides the merchant with an optional registration process to
allow their customers to opt-in to receive additional virtual offers through
e-mail or SMS. The consumer then visits the merchant location where the
cashier enters the 16-digit code or scans the barcode at the point-of-sale
(POS) terminal. With the future of mobile commerce in mind, mVouchers are
also designed to support NFC-based redemption between a mobile device and
the merchant point of sale as this technology is broadly deployed.
In addition, the mVoucher program includes an optional registration feature
on a mobile web or App Gift Card Portal for the consumer to manage their
saved offer and accept more incentives from the merchant. Included is the
ability to reload funds, check balance and transaction information, locate
the nearest physical store location and purchase additional mVouchers to
send to others.
As part of the mVoucher launch, First Data and CardinalCommerce collaborated
on the development of a mobile commerce platform to provide an
integration-free solution for merchants to deliver mVouchers. Redemption of
mVouchers can take place through an existing relationship with First Data
and a merchant’s POS system or the internet checkout process, which allows
for detailed reporting from request to delivery to redemption.
“Leveraging the convenience of a consumer’s mobile phone, merchants can
drive loyalty, brand affinity and simplify the transaction process through
this new product capability. MVoucher is a simple to use mobile solution
that utilizes a retailer’s existing gift card infrastructure and helps them
exploit the opportunities of mobile commerce,” said Tim Sherwin, EVP and
co-owner of CardinalCommerce Corporation.
Around the world, every second of every day, First Data makes payment
transactions secure, fast and easy for merchants, financial institutions and
their customers. First Data leverages its vast product portfolio and
expertise to drive customer revenue and profitability. Whether the choice of
payment is by debit or credit card, gift card, check or mobile phone, online
or at the checkout counter, First Data takes every opportunity to go beyond
the transaction.
