From February 11, Carrefour will work together with the country’s leading mobile operators to put in place a series of large scale Near Field Communication trials that will see consumers using NFC phones to make payments via the contactless MasterCard version, of its own brand credit/loyalty card, known as Pass. At the same time it has also signed a deal to install between 1,000 and 1,500 self-checkout machines, incorporating the ability to handle a wide range of advanced payments technologies including NFC. 

France’s largest retail chains and its three mobile operators have joined together under the name Ergosum to push forward the date that NFC-based mobile transactions arrive in France. Auchan, Carrefour, Castorama, Fnac, Kinepolis, Jules, Leroy Merlin and Groupement des Mousquetaires (which includes supermarket chain Intermarché) as well as most of the retailers’ financial services arms (including Banque Accord, Cofidis, Finaref and Laser) have joined the Ergosum initiative, along with mobile operators Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom.

By Christmas 2009, the group says, customers of the three mobile operators will be able to participate in large scale trials that enable them to use their mobile phones to pay for purchases in the group’s stores, to store and to redeem mobile coupons and to replace their existing store cards with virtual loyalty cards held and updated on their phone.

"We believe the Pass MasterCard card, an innovative card with improved consumer benefits, will help not only to build customer loyalty, but also attract and retain new cardholders to our network," says Gauthier Durand Delbecque, general manager of financial services at Carrefour Group.

"Customisation of services, flexibility in use, and the very latest in card technology including the MasterCard PayPass ‘Tap & Go’ contactless functionality has been combined into this new card programme designed specifically for the Carrefour consumer," the company says. Features include:

A card at the cutting-edge of technology enabling cardholders choice in how they pay for their purchases; either immediately from their bank account or by credit thanks to the card’s joint debit/credit functionality. As well as enabling the cardholder to choose their individual PIN number, the card is also one of the first in France to offer the MasterCard PayPass technology. As of 3Q2008, already available on nearly 44 million cards and devices across the world and as a safe, speedier and easier way to pay, cardholders simply Tap & Go for purchases up to 25 Euros.

A customizable card which extends guarantees up to five years for electrical-product purchases such as televisions and washing machines with an additional benefit of an enhanced insurance package designed by the cardholder via an exclusive webportal provided for and operated by MasterCard.

A loyalty card which enhances the existing Carrefour and Pass advantages such as the doubling of some discount benefits for cardholders making at least one monthly purchase in a non-Carrefour group merchant.