In an effort to enable merchants to accept payments from nearly anywhere in their stores, Verifone launched its e280 mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) solution, the company announced in a press release.
Using the technology, merchants can enable experiences like self-checkout kiosks and fill consumer demand for a more mobile payment experience. “The ultra-modern e280 mPOS will be the perfect solution merchants can use to provide great service while securely accepting all payment types wherever customers are in the store,” Verifone EVP and Global Head of Solutions Glen Robson said in the announcement.
In support of a mobile checkout experience, Verifone cited a TimeTrade survey that found consumers won’t wait more than 10 minutes to pay for items in stores. But, according to an IHL Group report, merchants that use mobile devices to perform tasks and help customers from anywhere in the store are experiencing higher annual sales increases.
As a mobile checkout payment system, e280 is targeted to both tier one retailers and smaller micro-merchants. Accessories can enable support options such as in-aisle checkout, on-the-go delivery and trade services — in addition to unassisted kiosks in retail or quick-service restaurants.
The e280 platform also offers a battery to process transactions that can last more than 10 hours without needing to recharge. It also sports Bluetooth Low Energy and Wi-Fi capability to enable beacons.
Verifone’s announcement comes after news last November that it would implement Mastercard’s M/Chip Fast technology across the company’s next-generation and heritage payment products. The company said the technology would enable North American merchants to provide their customers with speed at the point of sale (POS), similar to paying with a magnetic stripe card — but with EMV security.
Before launching the Mastercard technology, Verifone released the Verifone V240m, a mobile point-of-sale system that is geared toward line-busting, curbside service and pay-at-the-table environments.
The CEO of Indonesian super app GoTo is reportedly still weighing a merger with rival Grab.
Patrick Walujo made those comments to the Financial Times (FT) in an interview published Wednesday (March 12), while also revealing his company’s first annual profit.
“I will always be open to anything that is enhancing our shareholders’ return … in the long term,” said Walujo.
Asked if he would consider a deal that involved the whole company or parts of it, the executive added: “This is something that we need to really consider. Because the other thing that’s unique about GoTo is that we are a national champion.”
Walujo told the FT that GoTo had a responsibility to its workers, and to developing tech capabilities within Indonesia.
Reports first emerged last year that GoTo — operator of the Gojek ride-hailing platform and partial owner of eCommerce service Tokopedia — was in talks with Singapore-based Grab, though the companies denied the discussions were taking place.
A merger between GoTo and Grab would likely attract the attention of regulators, the FT noted, as it would involve two of the biggest ride-hailing/food delivery services in the region.
The combined company would have a market value of $23 billion, but as the FT points out, this is well below the $72 billion the companies were worth when they went public in 2021 and 2022, as stiff competition for ride-hailing and food delivery has driven down prices.
The past year has seen several companies in this space struggle. For example, Grubhub announced last month that it was cutting a fifth of its staff after being sold to meal delivery service Wonder.
“In order to achieve our ambition, we must prioritize the right work and execute with speed and conviction by reducing management layers, bringing leaders closer to the business, and removing duplication,” CEO Howard Migdal said in a message to employees.
“As a result, we’ve made the difficult decision to eliminate approximately 500 positions at Grubhub. These changes span all teams as we begin to integrate functions with Wonder.”
Meanwhile, Grab said last month that it views autonomous vehicles (AVs) as one of its next growth drivers.
“I personally, and, our leadership has actually taken many rides across the world, across various brands just to understand and be forward-leaning in this space,” CEO and Co-founder Anthony Tan said during an earnings call.
“We believe we are in a prime position in supporting the AV transition over the next few years, and we have a very significant role to play in this region via a hybrid AV human fleet.”