Beam Wallet introduces contactless payment in the Middle East

Mobile commerce (m-commerce) and rewards platform Beam Wallet has introduced the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Beacon technology, enabling consumers to shop, earn and redeem rewards while enjoying specifically targeted offers and promotions, without cash or cards. Turning smartphones into digital wallets and halving transaction times, Beam Wallet is endeavouring to change the rules of customer engagement, radically transforming the way people shop.

The rollout of the Beam Wallet contactless experience begins in the UAE, with more than 1,100 retail outlets now operating Beam Beacons at checkout. Fitted with the latest BLE technology, iBeeks Beacons supplied by BluVision offer immediate engagement with the more than 100,000 customers already registered with Beam Wallet, by sending a passive alert to the retailer’s point of sale (POS) system notifying of the customer’s presence in store.

The consumer receives a personalised notification through their Beam Wallet app, welcoming them and highlighting dedicated offers and immediate rewards available. Payment transactions are simple and streamlined, and contactless for both parties. Cashier input is limited to entering the amount due into their POS system, while the customer uses their 3G phone to enter their personal security number and confirm payment by Beam Wallet. Customer and retailer both receive notifications of transaction status and a digital receipt is automatically generated, completing the transaction.

“Beam Wallet’s new technology puts us at the forefront of advanced and effective retail marketing solutions in the MENA region. Our BLE technology and m-commerce platform work together to provide an innovative solution for companies trying to build relationships with their customers, increase the conversion of in-store browsing to buying, leverage the power of mobile technology to deliver targeted offers to customers and easily deliver mobile loyalty and rewards programmes,” says Nadim Khoury, co-founder, Beam Wallet.

With the integration of BLE-capable Beam Beacons and the Beam Wallet platform for the first time ever, retailers have the opportunity to communicate with customers on a personal one-to-one and immediate basis. The m-commerce platform works with a proprietary CRM platform and an advanced analytics structure to provide business partners with valuable insights into in-store customer behaviour and preferences, from the frequency of visits to purchasing conversions according to offers, footfall in specific areas of the store, social media sharing of information and even duration of visit. This allows for a range of highly targeted and contextually based offers, rewards and digital content that can be shared directly with the consumer via the Beam Wallet app, making shopping more rewarding, thereby leading to an increase in spending behaviour and customer loyalty.