"Twint digitizes the entire wallet".

Twint and Paymit decided to do business together in the spring. When will the new joint payment service be launched?

The joint solution will be launched gradually in 2017. We are currently working at full speed on the migration of the systems. Most Swiss banks will support the new solution, including PostFinance, UBS, Raiffeisen, Credit Suisse, Zürcher and Waadtländer Kantonalbank. Banks will now be able to issue their own Twint apps, and customers will be able to link the app directly to their bank account or deposit a credit card.

In addition to the payment function, Twint offers merchants the opportunity to advertise via coupons, for example.

Exactly. But it's not about advertising space, but - if they want such offers - about concrete benefits for customers. That's why we call these opportunities "added values". From our point of view, the added values are absolutely central. Because they are the key to ensuring that many Swiss people will use Twint in the future.

What kind of offers are there with Twint exactly?

In addition to digital coupons, Twint offers digital stamp cards and the deposit of customer cards. Once deposited or activated, the customer card is automatically integrated into the payment process. The best-known example is Supercard from Coop. Twint is therefore much more than a new payment solution and digitizes the entire wallet.

What are the benefits of mobile advertising via coupons?

Coupons are a classic marketing tool to increase sales. With Twint, retailers can target specific customer groups and thus minimize wastage. And they can do this on the smartphone, which many people don't put more than a meter away from them, even when they're sleeping.

Coupons with Twint are also very practical for customers: they can activate the coupons that interest them and they are automatically redeemed when they pay with Twint. Gone are the days when you remember at the checkout that there's actually a coupon lying around somewhere at home ...

However, Twint needs the users' personal data for this.

Customers have the choice. In other words, they consciously agree to their data being used for this purpose. They can change the setting at any time, i.e. deactivate the use of data. Of course, the Twint payment function can also be used without such consent.

Regardless, we do not share personal data with merchants. The data remains with Twint and is stored in Switzerland. The only exception is the transmission of the customer card number if a customer has deposited it in the Twint app. This is analogous to the physical world: If I present the customer card at the checkout, the information is known to the merchant.

Stamp cards can also be used. What is the idea behind this?

Stamp cards are used for customer loyalty and many retailers now offer them in physical form. These cards are often forgotten or they slow down the payment process at the checkout. If the customer has activated the stamp card with Twint, he automatically receives a digital stamp with every payment. When the stamp card is full, the customer receives a coupon with the corresponding offer in the Twint app. Both customer and merchant benefit from much more convenience.

Can you already give us an example of a successful campaign via Twint?

Digitec used couponing when they joined Twint. In the campaign, 650 coupons were played out, of which around 500 were activated and 60 redeemed. The campaign therefore achieved a conversion rate of over ten percent from activated to redeemed coupons.

Is it also possible to integrate Twint into the company's own online store?

Yes, Twint is a cross-channel payment solution: you can pay at the store checkout, at vending machines and in e-commerce, or send money to friends. When paying in an online store, a QR code appears that you scan in the Twint app and then confirm the payment. This means you no longer have to enter credit card data during the payment process. With the new solution, it will also be possible to connect Twint directly to the bank account. There is no faster and more convenient way to make e-commerce purchases than Twint.

What enhancements are planned for Twint in the future?

Based on today's system, we can offer a lot with little development effort: For example, we want to replace cash in every farm store or help merchants implement cross-channel promotions. We also want to make the check-out process in online shopping even more convenient or enable bills to be paid via Twint. n