Fast, secure, and as simple as possible – Bluecode’s mission is to revolutionise mobile payment. And now, this is possible in online shops based on Magento, too. Bluecode and BSS Commerce have developed a simple Magento plug-in that can be installed by the merchant in just a few minutes in order to allow their consumers to pay securely and quickly with their smartphones when shopping online.
But let’s start from the beginning: The smartphone has become a common means of payment for many. Why Because paying with it is straightforward and hygienic, and most people always carry their phone with them anyway. Besides that, mobile payment is very fast. When you open the Bluecode app or an app that uses Bluecode technology, a unique blue barcode is generated – the “Bluecode”. That barcode is subsequently scanned at the checkout, a transaction is triggered, and the purchase is complete. In online shops, it works a little differently – the users select Bluecode at the checkout, scan the QR code displayed on their laptop screen and confirm with a swipe in the Bluecode app. If the consumers are shopping on their mobile phone, the payment experience is friction-less as only a swipe to confirm the payment in the Bluecode app is needed.
Bluecode also combines the whole payment process with so-called “value-added services”: When paying with Bluecode, customers can benefit from great benefits set up by a merchant, such as coupons or discounts, without having to interrupt the payment process. Vouchers and loyalty rewards are automatically passed on to the merchant by scanning the Bluecode barcode or QR code, so they don’t have to be remembered or taken out of the wallet – all with a single scan. Bluecode users can also participate in lotteries. Today, Billa, Billa Plus, Bipa, Müller, Spar, Hartlauer, Hervis Sports, Rossman and many more Austrian and German retailers are Bluecode acceptance partners.
Adding value and customer loyalty programs to apps
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Paying with Bluecode has many benefits and some app providers are already taking advantage of them. Sports clubs such as 1. FC Köln, Adler Mannheim, Karlsruher SC, TSG Hoffenheim and Fortuna Düsseldorf in Germany have integrated the Bluecode payment technology into their respective club apps. Now, each club app offers even greater value to fans. The entire customer journey – from looking up game times to purchasing tickets, drinks, or snacks – is taking place in one single app. When purchasing drinks or snacks at kiosks in the stadium, fans only have to pull out their mobile devices and have their Bluecode scanned, which can significantly reduce waiting times. After all, who wants to wait for their snacks or drinks? Conversely, shorter checkout times can lead to more revenue for the sports club and customer loyalty benefits combined with mobile payment can add real value to a club’s app.
This additional value can now also be offered at Magento online shops that use Bluecode. To pay with Bluecode in an online shop, customers only have to scan the QR code displayed on the screen with the Bluecode app or any Bluecode-enabled app. The transaction is then confirmed and completed in that app. Of course, purchases can be made this way when shopping on a mobile device, too. When completing a transaction in an online shop while on a mobile device, customers are redirected straight to their Bluecode-enabled app to confirm the payment. Then, they are automatically redirected back to the web shop as soon as the transaction is completed. The whole process only takes a few moments and can be combined with numerous customer loyalty benefits – either via the Bluecode App itself or the app in which Bluecode is integrated. For example, sports clubs can offer merchandise in their club
app at the time of a game and draw attention to special promotions. Smooth payment processing optimises the checkout process and can therefore reduce shopping cart abandonment.
Quick, easy and secure to use
Setting up Bluecode is done within minutes: Users only have to download the Bluecode app, connect their bank account and they’re ready to go. Bluecode can be connected to any checking account in Austria and Germany and is free of charge. For online vendors, Bluecode can be used in a similarly quick and straightforward way. In partnership with BSS Commerce, Bluecode has developed a plugin for web shops that run on Magento. This plugin considerably reduces the time and effort it takes to integrate Bluecode for merchants. Instead of integrating each endpoint of the Bluecode Merchant API, merchants only have to install the Bluecode plugin in their Magento web shop – and that can be done within minutes. “Imagine paying online without the need for entering a password or credit card numbers. A fingerprint or Face ID – that’s all it takes to confirm a transaction with Bluecode,” Bluecode product manager Steven Fantina explains: “We developed this technology to ensure the lowest drop rates possible at the checkout. And now with the Bluecode plug-in, the integration effort goes from a couple of days of development to only a few minutes for Magento web shops.”
Besides speed and convenience, security is Bluecode’s top priority. In order to protect the banking data of customers, Bluecode technology is token-based. This means that customers do not have to enter any credit card data on a shop’s website. This reduces payment cancellations at the checkout. Bluecode retains neither bank data nor personal data about users and applies the so-called zero-knowledge principle. Bluecode doesn’t know who is paying for what. This ensures that user data cannot be misused or otherwise passed on to third parties, i.e. for advertising purposes. Furthermore, data is encrypted on the user’s device and only reaches the Bluecode servers in Germany in its encrypted form. Additionally, the app itself can only be accessed using Face ID, fingerprint, or a PIN. Whether directly on a smartphone, a laptop or in an app – shopping and paying with Bluecode is as secure as it can get.
Cost-effective payment for online shops
The high level of security also ensures lower costs for shop operators. Bluecode payments are more secure than credit card payments, in part due to the above-mentioned security mechanisms. That reduces the risk of malignant transactions and therefore fees can be kept at a minimum. This is one of the fundamental differences between Bluecode and credit card companies, who have to charge higher fees for online payments, as these transactions are associated with a higher risk for them.
Bluecode’s mission is to make mobile payments easy, fast, and secure for all parties involved. Customers can benefit from numerous advantages, as companies can use Bluecode payment technology to run tailor-made loyalty programmes and marketing measures and thus add real value for their customers. All of this is done with only a few clicks. The first step, though, is to contact Bluecode’s sales team and become a Bluecode Business Partner – like thousands of other merchants.
Learn more: https://bluecode.com/en/b2b/e-commerce/
