Ukheshe has announced a new mobile payment solution that should be of interest to smaller merchants and SMEs. This as the payment enablement platform has launched its very first tap-on-phone payment solution that requires no certifications.
The company adds that this solution will allow any near-field communication-enabled (NFC) Android phone to accept tap-on-phone transactions, with no need for any certifications or app approvals, along with no need to include any third parties or software development toolkits (SDKs).
As for why it has chosen to launch this solution, Ukheshe notes that while tap-on-phone has been widely available in the market, the costs involved and administration elements in particular, have presented significant hurdles for merchants.
“The cost of a terminal is a hurdle to these businesses, not to mention the additional distribution and maintenance concerns. This new technology combats the high costs of app certifications in developing and implementing tap-on-phone solutions,” notes Paul Selibas, president for Channel Solutions at Ukheshe Technologies.
Merchants who wish to make use of this solution will be able to turn their smartphone or tablet into a contactless point-of-sale (POS) terminal that can receive payments from cards or mobile wallets, without requiring any additional hardware.
When a merchant requires a payment, the merchant’s app will initiate the tap-on-phone functionality. The customer will then tap their card against the merchant’s phone, and the purchase is complete. Similarly, if a customer were to make a payment via an app, the customer could tap their card on the mobile device and the payment is complete.
“Tap-on-phone transactions are protected by the same security and encryption technology offered with chip cards throughout the world, and the same secure transaction process as traditional POS transactions,” explains Ukheshe in a press release sent to Hypertext, regarding the solution’s security measures.
“Ukheshe’s solution allows any merchant or service provider, from a corner store owner to a taxi driver, to accept a tap-on-phone payment powered by its Eclipse platform. Once the tap-on-phone function is selected, the Eclipse Payment Service App (EPS) will open on top of the merchant app and the payment will be facilitated by Eclipse,” it concludes.
