Alliance Highlights Healthcare

PRINCETON JUNCTION, N.J. -- The vigorous take up of contactless payment in the United States and its future in mobile phones, plus a Mount Sinai Medical Center initiative to give patients control of their own health and hospital registration information, highlighted day two of the Alliance annual conference.

Contactless Payment
Conference presenters representing payments brands, merchants and issuers were universally enthusiastic about the uptake of contactless payment in the United States.

“I think the egg has hatched,” quipped Andrea Brandt when asked what advice she would give other merchants about contactless payment. Brandt should know. As financial services manager for Meijer, a retail supercenter chain headquartered in Michigan, she has been involved in accepting and issuing contactless payment cards since 2005. Based on 15,000 contactless payment terminals in 181 Meijer stores, Brandt reports a 44 percent monthly sales lift for customers paying with contactless cards.

Another merchant reported scoring a touchdown with contactless payment—the Baltimore Ravens stadium. Simpler and faster than cash, contactless payment raises the average transaction by $8 and reduces time in line, getting fans back to the game faster according to Kevin Rochlitz, senior director for the Ravens. So was investing in contactless payment acceptance for the 420 payment locations in the stadium a good investment? “Absolutely!” Rochlitz responded enthusiastically. “We have a big cash business and a young audience; it was definitely the right decision. We feel it’s a form of payment everyone is going to want to use. They all want to get through the line faster,” he said.

Smart Card Alliance