Tag: mobile payments

CVS mobile payment system launched for smartphone using shoppers

Customers will be able to use the CVS Pharmacy app when they make a purchase in-store.

The new CVS mobile payment system launched recently. The service allows shoppers to use their smartphones to complete a purchase transaction in-store. They simply need to use the CVS Pharmacy app to access the new wallet features.

The pharmacy has been resistant to the use of mobile wallets until now and has not previously accepted them.

For instance, Apple Pay is not available at the pharmacy locations. This, despite the fact that the iPhone mobile wallet is considered one of the most successful smartphone payment service. Now, the situation has become much clearer. CVS launched its mobile payment system so customers can shop at the store through its own app.

One considerable advantage of the CVS Pay mobile payment system is the inclusion of the rewards program.

Mobile Payment System - CVS Pharmacy StorePrior to the launch of this mobile wallet, shoppers were required to show their CVS rewards cards. Alternately, they needed to tell the cashier their name and birth date so their rewards account could be found in the computer. After that, their items were rung through and they could pay for their purchases.

The use of the CVS Pay mobile app makes it possible for customers to receive rewards points automatically. The app lets them pay and collect points all in one place and one transaction.

Brian Tilzer, the chief digital officer at CVS, explained that the process is quite easy for consumers. “With one scan, we’re taking away three or four extra steps that customers have lived with for a long time,” he said.

So far, the mobile app has been given the nod by the media, on the whole. It has been compared to CVS rival Walmart’s mobile payment application. In fact, some have even compared this new system to Starbucks, which is considered to be the most successful application of a mobile wallet.

That said, the goal of the CVS mobile payment system is to make it easier for customers to pick up their prescriptions. It makes it possible for Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Spending Accounts information to be stored. This makes it fast and easy to split purchases. The app works both in-store and at the drive through window.

Xiaomi mobile technology looks to Indian start-ups

The tech company from China is seeking new investments and partnerships within India’s market.

The Xiaomi mobile tech company recently entered a partnership with the Mobikwik mobile wallet. It gave them access to 1 million device users in India who were using the free SMS-based mobile payment service. It is now becoming clear that this is only one of the first steps Xiaomi is taking into the Indian marketplace.

The technology company is now looking to invest in startups while also forming local partnerships.

The goal is to build a strong ecosystem surrounding Xiaomi mobile products in India. The Chinese tech company currently sells a range of different products in India, including smartphones, tablets, Bluetooth accessories, fitness bands and power banks. That said, the television launch may require additional time. The reason, says the company’s head in India, Manu Jain, is that Xiaomi has not yet completed its content strategy.

Still, the Xiaomi mobile investments in India have been growing rapidly, particularly among startups.

Xiaomi Mobile - Mobile Technology in IndiaBack in April, the firm invested in Hungama Digital Media Entertainment. That was an important move toward establishing an Indian foundation, said Jain. Xiaomi was a leader in the $25 million round of investments into that business. It represented the first time Xiaomi invested in any startups within the Indian market.

As a result of this investment, Xiaomi device users will have free access to 2 Hungama premium apps for three months and for one year. Those apps are Hungama Play and Hungama Music, respectively.

More recently the company linked up with One Mobikwik Systems Pvt. Ltd., a mobile wallet business. Through that partnership, one million of the company’s device users will have access to that mobile payments system for free.

If the situation in the company’s home country is any indication, there could be a great deal more to come. In China, it has already incubated or invested in 55 content and hardware startup businesses. Among them have been those that have developed a broad range of offerings. These include everything from air and water purifiers to drones. They also include complementary software and content development.

Of the 55 companies, 20 have already launched a product. Four have managed to achieve a valuation of $1 billion – also known as unicorn status – following the Xiaomi mobile investment.