Press release
Lachen (Switzerland), 27 January 2022
2021 was a year of significant advancement for Bluecode, the European payment solution, marked by the addition of new banking and retail partners alongside important investment partners. Value-added payments through merchant apps are gaining momentum.
The synergy of mobile payments and value-added services is in demand. Bluecode is committed to strong partnerships and can look back on 2021 as a year of remarkable success: acceptance in the Austrian food retail industry reached around 85% by the end of the year, while in Germany, partnerships were established with the drugstore chains Müller and Rossmann, and with the food retailer EDEKA Südwest. Additionally, the football clubs Karlsruher SC and TSG Hoffenheim integrated Bluecode as a payment method in their apps and stadiums. The project with the broadest reach in Austria is jö&GO!, which was implemented jointly with the jö Bonus Club. “2021 was a monumental year for us, achieving major milestones or successfully concluding projects with our partners nearly every month. One thing is very evident to us: value-added mobile payments are becoming increasingly important for retailers, retaining customers and boosting sales”, says Bluecode CEO Christian Pirkner.
One-scan smartphone checkout in Austria and Germany
February 2021 saw the launch of jö&GO!, a new checkout process accessible directly through the jö Bonus Club app, Austria’s leading customer loyalty platform. With a single scan, jö&GO! enables customers to combine the value-added services of the jö card with mobile payments through Bluecode.
In March 2021, the German drugstore chain Rossmann started offering Bluecode as a payment option across its nearly 2,200 stores in Germany. This not only adds Bluecode to its payment ecosystem, but also facilitates transactions with Asian customers through Alipay and WeChat, which are compatible with the Bluecode checkout integration.
In April 2021, Bluecode welcomed an important investor on board: the Hopp Family Office under the stewardship of brothers Daniel and Oliver Hopp. As lead investors, the sons of SAP founder Dietmar Hopp invested EUR 20 million in the European payment solution Bluecode.
Things took an athletic turn in May 2021: the German second division football club Karlsruher SC integrated Bluecode as a payment option into its app and stadium point-of-sale systems, following in the footsteps of Bundesliga clubs 1. FC Köln and FC Augsburg. KSC fans can now make cashless purchases of drinks, snacks, tickets and merchandise.
In June 2021, Bluecode, epay and Huawei entered into a collaborative partnership, opening up new opportunities for the retail sector in Germany and Austria. More than 15 million Huawei customers can now use Huawei Pay to make payments at Bluecode-affiliated merchants. For more information, see here.
In August 2021, Bluecode secured Hypo Oberösterreich as another partner bank for its European payment network. Through this collaboration, Hypo Oberösterreich customers gain the ability to link their bank accounts to Bluecode and Bluecode-enabled apps, thereby enabling direct account debits for purchases without any intermediary card and banking systems. Alongside Hypo Oberösterreich, several other Austrian banks also joined the Bluecode network.
In September 2021, another Bundesliga club, TSG Hoffenheim, joined the Bluecode network. Through the TSG app, fans now have the ability to make cashless payments while simultaneously accessing value-added services.
On 1 November 2021, German drugstore chain Müller launched its own app together with the “Müller Pay” payment feature. Powered by Bluecode, the app can be used for cashless payments in Müller stores across Austria and Germany, while also providing value-added services, such as the opportunity to earn and redeem “Müller Blossoms”. This makes Müller the first German retailer to integrate Bluecode into its own app.
Since November 2021, Bluecode has been integrated as a payment option into two ordering apps of EDEKA Südwest, the second-largest regional EDEKA subsidiary in Germany: the Markt-Bäckerei app and the Frühstück app. The apps let customers and employees pre-order and pre-pay for their breakfast and snacks.
“These projects all have two things in common: they merge value-added services such as discounts and loyalty cards with the convenience of mobile payments in one app – thereby creating a streamlined one-scan checkout experience. And they are seamlessly integrated into the retailers’ apps, enabling them to maintain a continuous engagement with their customers, from the moment of ordering to the final transaction”, Pirkner summarizes.
EMPSA: Payments throughout Europe
Another significant project is the development of EMPSA, the European Mobile Payment Systems Association. 14 mobile payment providers from 15 European countries are working together to promote interoperability among European mobile payment solutions. Over the past two years, EMPSA has achieved several important milestones, such as the first successful payment at a German merchant within the Bluecode network using the Swiss mobile payment system Twint. “As chairman of the technical working group at EMPSA, I am thrilled with our accomplishments this year. We have overcome a number of technical challenges, paving the way for an expanded EMPSA roaming network”, says Pirkner. EMPSA’s goal is to interlink European mobile payment providers, enabling Europeans to make cross-border payments across Europe using the app of their choice at no extra cost.
2022 will be another year of expansion for Bluecode
Bluecode has ambitious plans for 2022, Pirkner explains: “We want to expand Bluecode’s acceptance in the retail sector. Our strategy focuses on integrating Bluecode into more leading retail and banking apps, thus offering enhanced services to a wider customer base.” Work is also continuing on EMPSA. The “Alpine Cluster” is set to go live in 2022, enabling Twint and Bluecode users to make payments within each other’s guest payment networks. Italy is slated to connect to the Alpine Cluster by mid-year via POC. “We are convinced that 2022 will be the year of the one-scan checkout: one app for everything. And we are pushing forward with European payment interoperability, with a focus on strengthening the retail and banking sectors throughout Europe”, Pirkner concludes.
Photos, reprint free of charge:
Photo 1: The European mobile payment solution Bluecode combines secure smartphone payments with value-added services. © Blue Code International AG
Photo 2: Christian Pirkner, CEO of Blue Code International AG, anticipates 2022 with optimism. © Blue Code International AG
About Bluecode
Bluecode is the European payment solution enabling cashless payments via smartphone and smartwatch (iOS & Android). In addition, in cooperation with banks and retailers, digital value-added services are offered in the apps of these partners. The smart and highly secure payment method works with any bank account and is based on the unique blue barcode, named after its distinct Europe-themed colour. Bluecode is based on a high-tech solution and is also compatible with other transmission technologies. Absolute data protection for consumers, retailers and banks is guaranteed. Major European banks in Austria and Germany, leading retailers (including Müller, Rossmann, Globus Group, Konsum, REWE International subsidiaries Billa, Billa Plus and Bipa, and the Spar Austria Group), as well as stadiums and arenas (including TSG Hoffenheim, SAP Arena Adler Mannheim, 1. FC Köln, FC Augsburg) are Bluecode network partners. The Hopp Family Office supports Bluecode’s expansion endeavours as one of its lead investors. For more information, please visit: www.store.bluecode.com.
About EMPSA
The European Mobile Payment Association (EMPSA) consists of 14 members in 15 European markets, representing more than 70 million users, more than one million merchants and hundreds of European banks. For more information, please visit: www.empsa.org.
Press Inquiries:
Blue Code International AG:
Schützenstraße 7
CH-8853 Lachen SZ Switzerland
Brendan Philipp
b.philipp@bluecode.com / presse@bluecode.com
+43 1 803 30 84 16
