Prepaid e-gift cards from Blackhawk Network’s GiftCardMall will be available to consumers for purchase from participating financial institutions’ mobile wallets under an agreement Blackhawk has reached with Monitise PLC.
Through the partnership, Blackhawk’s network will integrate with Monitise’s mobile-banking platform, thus simplifying for consumers the purchase of gift cards through participating financial institutions’ wallets.
From Mobile Payments Today:
“We believe that consumer demand for gift cards is increasing around the world and with it the expectation that access to mobile offerings will allow consumers to make purchases whenever they want,” said Tim Attinger, Blackhawk Network group vice president of strategy and innovation.
The agreement illustrates just a beginning to the benefits banks can offer their customers to build loyalty as they add mobile-wallet functionality to their mobile-banking platforms, in this case those powered by a third party, Monitise. Simplicity and convenience are key factors, as all consumers wanting to buy a particular merchant’s prepaid card must do is access their mobile-banking service and click a few buttons, perhaps while sitting on the couch watching a ball game.
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