I’ve been paying with my cell phone for so long that I no longer carry the card in my wallet because my reality is that my phone is just as useful for paying those purchases as it is for settling scores with my friends while we drink. Thank you Bijum. Well, the possibility of paying with your mobile phone but without a card is being forged in the Juan Roig supermarket chain as Mercadona is testing payments with Bizum Pay at the checkouts of several of its establishments.
ready. According to El Confidencial, the new payment system is in the testing phase in several selected Mercadona stores, such as Soria. The company aims to measure checkout line speed and liquidity for its expansion. The expansion points to even better conditions: after months of testing, the Valencian chain will begin full deployment this month.
Why is it important?. Mercadona is the supermarket chain that makes the most money in Spain, so its decision carries a lot of weight. Bizum is an already widespread payment system that was born to settle accounts between individuals, but is increasingly used to pay for purchases. The fact that it reaches large supermarket chains for everyday use strengthens it as a card alternative, a business where Visa and Mastercard in North America eat a good share of the pie.
The supermarket says yes to Bijum. Mercadona already accepts Bizum in its online store, so it’s a jump to physical stores for full compatibility with the service. Go ahead: Mercadona is not the only one to take action at the moment, since Irosky or Burger King also joined these days, nor the first: Lidl has already accepted Bizum in its online store in 2023 and can be paid in its physical stores for weeks.
According to the economic magazine Expansión, Spanish banks are implementing Bizum Pay in large supermarket chains and distribution companies, including Inditex, Ikea, Carrefour, El Corte Inglés, Eroski, Alcampo, Caprabo, Burger King and Lidl, although its deployment is progressive and the pace is uneven.
How to use it. With this protocol, anyone pays directly from their bank account without a credit or debit card: just bring the mobile phone close to the dataphone or scan a QR code. You must purchase from a store that offers the option and activate the service According to El Confidential, in addition, the bank must integrate with the private protocol. Companies that offer it include CaixaBank, Sabadell, Bankinter, Unicaja and Abanca. If so, having the app is enough.
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