28.03.17 – Members of the BOKIS banking collectivehave become the first in Denmark to offer mobile payments using Dankort, thenational debit and credit card. Last month the collective launched a digitalwallet that allows consumers with an Android device to make contactless mobilepayments. Today it is launching a mobile wallet for iPhone and, for the firsttime, is enabling customers to link their Dankort to their device.
The BOKIS partnership includes 62 banks that formthe small to mid-sized banks segment of the Association of Local Banks, SavingsBanks and Cooperative Banks in Denmark, together with four nationwide banks:Sydbank, Spar Nord Bank, Arbejdernes Landsbank and Nykredit Bank.
In February BOKIS launched its first mobilewallet, which is available on Android smartphones and can link to MasterCardand Visa international debit and credit cards.
Today the collective took the next step and becamethe first in the country to enable customers to use their smartphone to paywith Dankort. By launching a mobile wallet for the iPhone at the same time,they are providing nearly half of the country with a mobile payments facility.
A milestone
“Being the first banks to offer mobilepayments with Dankort is a milestone that we are extremely proud of. Itreflects the culture of innovation that fuels the BOKIS collective,” saysJan Kondrup, director of BOKIS and Local Banks.
Søren Nicolaisen, director of BOKIS andassociation Nationwide Banks, added: “Dankort continues to be the favoriteDanish debit card, and we are seeing a growing interest in mobile paymentsamong Danes, so this was the obvious next step. We are looking forward tohearing our customers’ feedback on our new solution, but also understand that aperiod of familiarization will be required for both customers as well as Danishmerchants.”
An exciting journey
Nets, the Nordic provider of payments, cards andinformation services, is behind the development of both the mobile wallet foriPhone and the ability to make mobile payments using Dankort for BOKIS banks.Jeppe Juul-Andersen, Director of Dankort at Nets, commented on the success ofthe launch:
“Together with the banks in the BOKIS collectivewe are now taking the first steps to make Dankort available on customers’mobile phones, which we believe will pave the way for growing mobile paymentsin the Danish retail sector.
“It will be an exciting journey that we arelooking forward to embarking on together with Danish consumers,” he says.“It will remain completely free to use Dankort and storing the card on yourmobile will become part of the current offering.”
Widespread availability
It is important to the Confederation of DanishEnterprise that their customers can pay with Dankort – including theirsmartphones. Henrik Hyltoft, Market Director of the Confederation of DanishEnterprise, comments: “Dankort is generally the cheapest method of paymentfor our member businesses and therefore for their customers. We are pleasedthat consumers can now pay with Dankort in the same way as other credit anddebit cards linked to a mobile wallet. The major retailers are already gettingready to accept Dankort mobile payments, and other stores will follow as theyupdate their POS terminals.”
From today, Danish consumers can use theirsmartphones to pay with Dankort in a number of stores, including Denmark’slargest retailer, Dansk Supermarked. Many more retailers are expected to followin the coming weeks. Danish supermarkets are among the first merchants toaccept Dankort mobile payments, via a Bluetooth acceptance device that sitsnext to their conventional payment terminals.
Following a simple software update to their POSterminals, all merchants that already accept contactless Dankort card paymentswill also be able to accept Dankort mobile payments.
First wallets
To make a mobile payment using Dankort, customersmust first download a wallet app from one of the BOKIS member banks. Sydbank,Spar Nord Bank, Nykredit Bank, Arbejdernes Landsbank and Lan & Spar eachhave their own wallet, while local banks utilize the common My Wallet.
Initially, these wallets will only be available tocustomers of BOKIS banks. As the solution continues to be developed, however,they will also become available to customers of other banks in the region. Inaddition, Nets has developed a separate Dankort app for customers of banks thathave not developed a mobile wallet that supports Dankort payments.
Easy, secure and fast
As with contactless card payments, for values upto 200 kr., mobile Dankort payments will not require the user to enter theirPIN. It is easy, secure, and fast.
FACT BOX
Six wallets available:
– AL-Wallet (Arbejdernes Landsbank)
– Lån og Spar Wallet (Lån & Spar Bank)
– Nykredit Wallet (Nykredit Bank)
– My Wallet (medlemmer af Lokale Pengeinstitutter)
– Spar Nord Wallet (Spar Nord Bank)
– Sydbank Wallet (Sydbank)
These apps can be downloaded from Google Play andApp Store.