OUD-BEIJERLAND, The Netherlands, Oct. 27, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Multicard, a leading supplier of credential solutions, identity management and system integration services and a business unit of Identive Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:INVE) (Frankfurt:INV), today announced the expanded roll-out of its Cashless Betalen ™ mobile payment solution across Holland. Cashless Betalen is the account management application behind the digital wallet offered by Rabobank, one of the leading banks in the Netherlands.
Multicard's Cashless Betalen allows users to manage their accounts easily and use their mobile devices to perform actions such as checking account balances, transferring funds and depositing, monitoring and making payments. The Cashless Betalen interface can be securely accessed with any Internet connection via computer or mobile device. Currently, Multicard also offers apps for Apple and Android phones. In addition, Multicard is providing digital wallet customers with secure near field communications (NFC) tokens that enable mobile phones and other devices to be used to make cashless payments. The NFC tokens take the form of stickers that are affixed to the back of a mobile phone or other device and incorporate strong encryption and the user's digital wallet account number. To purchase items, the user simply taps the sticker to the spot indicated on the point of sale (POS) terminal at check out. The transaction is quick and secure. Consumers can purchase the NFC stickers or other payment tokens through Multicard's Cashless Betalen online market.
Pieter Kooistra, managing director of Multicard Netherlands, explained, "We are very pleased with the result of our initial roll-out to Dutch hockey clubs in July, with more than 50 locations accepting Cashless Betalen and over 150,000 people now using the digital wallet. Interest in Cashless Betalen has spread to other sports and event organizations, the food and beverage industry and the wider market. With this nationwide roll-out of Cashless Betalen, we are now offering the service to the entire population. Cashless Betalen is an easy, convenient way for anyone to pay securely."
Multicard is marketing Cashless Betalen to merchants, retail centers and other organizations that provide retail services to customers and would benefit from the ability to complete customer transactions more quickly. This includes supermarket, restaurant and retail chains, as well as universities, hospitals, large corporations and sports stadiums – all of which require customers to pay for parking, food and retail items. Because of the high engagement in youth and professional sports in Holland and the accompanying retail activities of local and national sports associations, hockey and soccer clubs are also an important target for the Cashless Betalen roll-out. For the youth market, Multicard has created payment tokens in the form of colorful wristbands and whimsical rubber creatures.
Multicard is working with Rabobank's 145 branch offices in the Netherlands to share marketing information and to provide training on making mobile payments with Cashless Betalen. Through this effort, Rabobank offices are forming their own promotion teams and presenting Cashless Betalen to local merchants, sports clubs and other organizations.
To address retail transactions in hospitals, universities, corporate cafeterias and other environments, Multicard has signed up 15 of the largest food service providers in the Netherlands, who collectively cover 80% of the market.
All merchants use specialized systems to perform and record their retail transactions, and Multicard is working with Holland's major cash register and POS terminal suppliers to ensure that their systems are ready to accept payments made through Cashless Betalen.
"We are very excited about Cashless Betalen and its implications for both consumers and merchants. If widely adopted in Holland, we believe that Cashless Betalen would represent the largest digital wallet community outside Japan in the near term," continued Kooistra. "The ability to make secure cashless payments using your phone offers convenience for consumers and provides merchants with new and more economic ways to attract and connect with customers. After payment, loyalty applications are a natural extension for Cashless Betalen, and we expect that this will add further value."
Note Regarding Forward Looking Information:
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "anticipates," "believes," "plans," "will," "intends," "expects," and similar references to the future, including statements regarding expected growth in the market for Cashless Betalen. Readers should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements as they are qualified by important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those reflected by such forward-looking statements. These factors include our ability to successfully market our products and other risks and uncertainties related to our business as detailed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 and subsequent reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
About Multicard:
Multicard, a business unit of Identive Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:INVE) (Frankfurt:INV), is a worldwide supplier of card solutions for secure identification programs, with in-house capabilities for credential issuance, personalization and fulfillment services for the consumer, government, education, healthcare and corporate markets. Multicard offers ID systems management and engineering services as well as full implementation and program management. Multicard also is a provider of enrollment, emergency management and accreditation solutions using data capture equipment for ePassport and other government ID and corporate ID applications. For additional information, visit www.multicard.com.
The Multicard logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=9855
Identive Group, Inc. is a leading provider of products, services and solutions for the security, identification and RFID industries. For more information, please visit www.identive-group.com.
The Identive Group, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=8072
Note: Cashless Betalen is a trademark of Multicard. All other trade names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
