French point-of-sale technology firm Ingenico is celebrating major Scandinavian success after agreeing a deal which will allow retailers to turn their phone or mp3 player into a chip-and-pin reader for credit and debit cards.
The new attachment will enable firms to take payment using their iPhone or iPod while on the move, instead of requiring customers to fumble around for cash or pay on invoicing.
The agreement with Swedish company PayEx, the value of which has not been revealed, was led by a team from Ingenico’s major UK base in Fife.
It will target retailers and transport sectors in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark.
The firm one of two major global players in hand-held credit and debit card reader market is headquartered in Paris, but employs around 200 people at its customer service and customisation centre in Dalgety Bay.
Northern Europe and Iberia managing director Jose Luis Arias said the deal continued Ingenico’s record of working with partners.
“More customers are looking for payment solutions that are not only secure, but also provide them with innovative solutions to help improve the efficiency of their sales,” he said.
“We expect to see a significant uptake of mobile payment solutions like this across the Nordic market,” he added.
Agreements have already been secured with ski resort, steamer and transport group Strmma, airport coach firm Flygbussarna and food delivery company Hemglass.