3 questions to … Christine Bauer, CCV Deutschland GmbH

Tablet PCs and smartphones have made giant leaps into Germany’s retail industry. One of the most important applications is mobile payment which is becoming more and more popular with customers. In this interview, Christine Bauer, Member of the Management Board at CCV Deutschland GmbH explains what advantages these new solutions offer retailers.

What exactly are the advantages app-based payment systems provide retail?

The digitization of our world doesn’t stop at the point of sale. Apps have already made their way into our personal lives and are predestined for use in the checkout area.

One single app features all functions that in the past used to only be available on the well-known bulky cash registers. Apps are also far more flexible in terms of updates and adding functions – the retailer is able to incorporate his background processes such as purchasing, inventory management or personnel administration at his discretion into the app.

The same flexibility and familiarity with which we manage our personal lives by using apps on electronic devices can be transferred to our business life at a 1:1 ratio. There are no barriers for the retailer; the applications are plug and play while the GoBD principles (English: Principles to ensure the due maintenance and preservation of books, records and documents in electronic form, as well as for data access) are already incorporated into this. Of special note here is that the interfaces to e-commerce and thus your own web store are also already integrated into these solutions!

Why is it so important to not only facilitate mobile payments for customers but to also equip employees with mobile checkout options?

The employee and the retailer benefit equally from mobile payment options. The stationary POS system no longer exists; the customer is able to make cashless payments anywhere. Long lines at the checkout are a thing of the past; instead, the employee becomes the “point of interaction”, since he/she can combine consulting, service and checkout in one person. The new mobile terminals can also be used immediately and intuitively by any user.

The CCV app2pay is a brand-new solution you will introduce at EuroCIS. What exactly can this solution accomplish?

Our own payment app represents another step forward towards omnichannel service. It simply is no longer enough to install a checkout and a terminal at a retailer. The digital challenges for retail can only be met with an integrated system. Combined with our CCV Fly, app2pay is the ideal mobile payment entry-level solution for any retailer. It facilitates all types of payment, ranging from girocards to credit cards all the way to contactless cards.

Within our entire CCV Group, we are currently working on an international level to further develop the app which will also include interfaces to inventory management and e-commerce along with many new functions and reporting options.

Interview: Daniel Stöter, EuroCIS-tradefair.com