It was announced last week at the Apps World conference in London that Payleven will soon be offering a “Chip and PIN” solution for mobile payments in Europe. A clone of iZettle and Square, Payleven transforms any Android or iOS smartphone or tablet into a card payment terminal. Like the two other providers, it will allow small and mobile businesses to accept payments anywhere.
Payleven’s launch comes after iZettle’s dispute with Visa Europe regarding card payments in Nordic countries. The difference between Payleven and iZettle is that the former, unlike the latter, submits to Visa’s rules in Europe – which stipulate that all mobile payments must be completed with “Chip and PIN” authorization – and thus will be able to accept all major debit and credit cards in Europe. Payleven does this through a small device allowing customers to enter their PIN code.
This week also saw London-based Powa sign an deal with South Africa’s National Bank to launch a similar “Chip and PIN” reader connected to smartphones via Bluetooth. Additionally Emu is launching a payment system that lets retailers accept cards through their mobile phones, tablets, laptops and desktop computers through a cloud-based service.
Payleven will be available from 15 October and the first devcices will be shipped soon after that. This can only mean trouble for iZettle which has failed to resolve its dispute with Visa Europe and but also for Square, which cannot accept “Chip and PIN” payments – crucial for the European market. The additional launches of Powa in South Africa and Emu in Europe surely signals that mobile payments are finally catching up outside the US.
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