Mastercard and Carrefour launch Scan&Go service with Masterpass

The solution, designed to eliminate queues at cash registers, has just concluded a pilot stage and is going to be gradually launched in Carrefour stores across Poland.

The new Scan&Go service is part of the My Carrefour mobile app, which until now was mainly used to manage Carrefour’s loyalty program. The app’s new functionality allows customers to scan product barcodes in store aisles using the smartphone’s camera. The value of all scanned products is automatically added up and displayed within the app so that consumers have real-time control over the amount they are about to spend on their shopping.

To finalize the purchase, consumers using the Scan&Go service can choose between a payment card, Masterpass for a quick and convenient cashless payment, or cash as their payment option. The Masterpass account comes with multi-tiered security. This includes the use of unique values (i.e. transaction tokens, card identifiers) enabling payment without the necessity to handle actual card details, bringing another layer of protection.

Ultimately, the new Scan&Go service with Masterpass is designed to allow customers to check out in a Carrefour store without having to go through a physical check-out register at all.

According to the opinion poll commissioned by Mastercard among Polish consumers, respondents are happy to use automated shopping solutions. This is because they realize it helps them reduce the waiting times spent queuing – the most frustrating aspect of everyday shopping. For example, the majority (61%) of respondents prefer cashless payments, especially contactless ones, over cash, as they believe that this speeds up customer service at cash registers. Also, they are willing to use new checkout solutions, such as self-service cash registers or scanning products on their own with the use of a smartphone or a retailer’s barcode reader. Over half of respondents (52%) would like to try fully automated solutions, which allow to skip the cash register.

Mastercard’s survey also confirms that more and more consumers use their smartphones in a store. Already 1/3 of respondents in Poland do it on regular basis, mainly to: read a shopping list (78%), look for information about products (74%), compare prices (70%), and check recipes (58%) or pay mobile (47%). This proves that the smartphone is becoming a universal and increasingly popular shopping tool for consumers. At the same time, it gives retailers an opportunity to reach out to their customers in new ways and present them with personalized offers.