Banks unite to improve mobile payment and loyalty offers
5 July 2016
ING and Belgian bank KBC have joined forces to launch a new, integrated mobile payments and loyalty platform in Belgium, combining ING’s payment app Payconiq with loyalty platforms Qustomer and KBC’s CityLife.
In doing so, ING and KBC are responding to quickly changing customer expectations. Together they aim to accelerate the launch of a better offer for both merchants and consumers in Belgium.
With Payconiq, customers can pay in store and get loyalty points. They can also make payments online and instantly transfer money to friends and family.
Over a million consumers and 6,500 retailers
Last year, ING developed payment app Payconiq and also bought loyalty platform Qustomer, while KBC worked with CityLife, a loyalty platform that enables buyers to save for a personal goal or a good cause. KBC also launched its own mobile payment solution in the CityLife platform.
With Payconiq, customers can do more than just pay in store and get loyalty points. They can also make payments online and instantly transfer money to friends and family, regardless of their bank.
All this expertise has now been merged into one integrated solution for consumers and retailers, resulting in a platform that is already used by over a million Qustomer, CityLife and Payconiq consumers and 6,500 retailers.
ING and KBC expect to expand this network over the coming months.
New name
Later this year, CityLife and Qustomer will introduce a new and improved loyalty platform with a new name. Payconiq will become the standard for mobile payments.
Customers from all Belgian banks can already experience the new combined offer. Qustomer and CityLife are integrated in the Payconiq app, while the CityLife app now also offers Payconiq as a payment option.
Strong digital offering
“We offer clients easy-to-use and relevant tools to empower them to stay a step ahead in life and in business,” said Rik Vandenberghe, CEO ING Belgium.
“The tremendous customer feedback about both Payconiq and Qustomer strengthens our conviction that as a bank we constantly have to innovate. And as far as innovation is concerned, we strongly believe in the power of cooperation. This cooperation helps us introduce outstanding digital services in Belgium.”
Tradition of collaboration
Daniel Falque, CEO of KBC Belgium, said the importance of mobile payments is “increasing exponentially”, both online and in shops.
“With the combination of CityLife, Qustomer and Payconiq, we are building on that trend, and also on the tradition of collaboration in the Belgian financial sector. This way we can always offer retailers and consumers the best possible solution,” he said.
Today, three out of four Belgian consumers have a smart phone, while more than 1.1 million KBC and ING clients use mobile banking.
Payconiq
Payconiq, built by ING, combines the safety of a bank account with the freedom of a mobile phone. Thanks to the cooperation with loyalty platforms Qustomer and CityLife, Payconiq users ‘get the most out of their payments’, while the app also allows them to easily transfer money to friends. Paying mobile through Payconiq is now possible at around 3,000 retailers in Belgium.
Qustomer
Qustomer enables consumers to save and spend loyalty points in shops, using a physical card with a QR code or a smart phone. Currently, 1 million users and 2,600 retailers (shop owners) in Belgium take part. Qustomer, founded in 2012, was acquired by ING in 2015.
CityLife
CityLife, co-founded by KBC in 2015, is a loyalty platform that is currently active in the Flanders region of Belgium. With CityLife, you can save for personal savings goals or a charity.