Zebra Debuts Multi-Industry Mobile Payment Tool

Zebra Technologies has debuted a mobile payment solution for several different industries.

The tool is designed for the retail, hospitality, entertainment, field mobility and logistics sectors. It runs on standard Google Mobile Services and the latest Android operating system, according to a Tuesday (Sept. 19) press release.

Businesses can take payments on Zebra’s mobile computers and tablets, transforming them into secure payment terminals, the company said in the release.

“The solution enables retail associates, hospitality workers and logistics employees to carry a complete mPOS in-hand to accept secure, contactless digital wallets, chip and PIN-based card payments almost anywhere,” the release stated. “Zebra Pay expands the mobile payment capabilities on compatible mobile devices to include line busting, assisted selling, extended aisle, curbside and field-based sales and reduces the need for customers to support multiple devices,” the release said.

Zebra Pay is certified with Global Payments in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East and Worldpay from FIS in North America. More acquirers, including Fiserv, will be added soon. The solution is also Visa Ready, “meeting Visa’s requirements for an optimal tap-to-pay POS acceptance experience,” according to the release.

The launch is happening as tap-to-pay technology grows popular among consumers due to a desire for speed and convenience at the register. The practice is technically a holdover from the pandemic when passing a card back and forth was less than ideal.

“But as so much commerce is returning to stores, the benefits of accepting tap to pay, and contactless payments in general, are proving a boon for both consumers and merchants,” PYMNYTS wrote last month. “The relatively quicker turnover at the register itself means consumers save time at checkout, and merchants benefit from quicker turnover, which in turn boosts revenues.”

PYMNTS data found that the United Kingdom has been fertile ground for contactless payments, with 58% of in-store shoppers paying that way in 2022, up 94% from the prior year.

Earnings reports from payments networks showed the continued traction of contactless payments. Mastercard said contactless now represents over 60% of all in-person switched purchase transactions, while Visa said earlier this year that tap-to-pay penetration of face-to-face transactions was 72%.