ACI Worldwide Tech Powers Co-op’s Pay-In-Aisle App

Mobile technology by payments provider ACI Worldwide  is a crucial part of the Co-operative Group’s (Co-op) new pay-in-aisle app, the firm said in a July 31 press release. 

One of the U.K.’s largest convenience food retailers, Co-op has more than 2,600 stores and fuel sites across the country.

Co-op customers in 30 food stores in England, Scotland and Wales will be able to scan products on their own device as they shop next month (August), with payment deducted from their Apple Pay or Google Pay accounts. The new system will use ACI’s Mobile Commerce SDK and will be available alongside existing payment methods like cashiers and self-scan tills, the release said.

“Consumers increasingly demand flexibility and choice when it comes to payment methods, and paying via mobile app is becoming more popular in the U.K., especially in urban areas and among millennials,” said Andrew Quartermaine, vice president, ACI Worldwide. “Moreover, as security is top-of-mind for consumers and paramount for merchants, the Co-op’s customers’ data will be protected at all times with ACI’s technology, regardless of the payment method they are using.”

The Co-op was the first U.K. retailer to introduce both chip-and-pin and contactless cards in the U.K. using ACI’s UP Merchant Payments solutions, which includes a cloud-based wallet service.

Although cash is “here to stay, it is clear that it is playing a lesser role in society. Retailers need to adapt and be agile, and this app builds added choice and convenience into the retail experience,” said Co-op Director of Retail Support Mark Pettigrew. 

ACI Worldwide announced in June the rollout of debit card disbursements that tap into the Visa Direct and Mastercard Send real-time payments platforms. This service offers a way to disburse funds to consumers as well as small businesses on their debit cards. The platform powers entire bill payments operations to let business streamline bill presentment and payment processing complexities to improve results while taking away application silos.