Multicard, Rabobank launch mobile payments solution for Dutch hockey clubs
28 June, 2011
category: NFC
Multicard has announced that it is partnering with Dutch financial services company Rabobank and the Royal Dutch Hockey Federation (KNHB) to kick off its Cashless Betalen mobile payment solution.
Geared toward Holland’s hockey and football clubs, the system uses NFC stickers that can be attached to smart phones to turn the devices into prepaid digital wallets, enabling organizations with shared funds to simplify the payment process for social activities like a post-game meal.
Pieter Kooistra, managing director of Multicard Netherlands, explains: “Rather than have one person pay for everything and then submit the receipt to the club for reimbursement, with Cashless Betalen the sports club can have its own bank account and authorized representatives can access, top up or check the balance of club funds using their NFC-enabled phones. Our ongoing interaction with users also allows us to gain incremental sales as clubs purchase NFC stickers or wristbands for all their members, local merchants sponsor clubs, etc.”
Rabobank will demonstrate the solution at the Rabo FIH Champions Trophy international hockey tournament, where Multicard will provide its NFC stickers to 1,000 club presidents and other executives. The stickers, which use NXP Semiconductors’ DESFire EV1 contactless microcontrollers, will be preloaded with a small amount of funds that club leaders can use to purchase refreshments at the tournament by simply tapping their phones against a point of sale reader.
Multicard, Rabobank and the KNHB are kicking off two promotional packages for hockey clubs at the Champions Trophy. Both packages include a digital wallet from Rabobank and Multicard’s Cashless Betalen solution, which provides the secure interface to the digital wallet.
Cashless Betalen users will receive stickers, wristbands or key fobs from Multicard that incorporate an NFC chip programmed with a unique digital wallet account number. Multicard says they will further provide ongoing management of the digital wallet accounts, beginning with activation of accounts when users log on to Multicard’s secure web portal. The same web portal is also used to deposit or transfer funds, monitor transactions and check account balances.
The Champions Trophy takes place from June 25 through July 3 at the Wagener Stadium in Amsterdam.
