The four times oversubscribed funding round comes ahead of the Swedish company’s likely public listing later this year. It included a combination of new and existing investors, though Klarna has not disclosed who they are. Some of Klarna’s current investors include Macy’s, Snoop Dogg, Sequoia Capital, Visa, BlackRock, Ant Group, TCV, and Silver Lake, among others.

Klarna intends to use one per cent of the capital raised for an initiative focusing on key global sustainability challenges. The initiative will launch on April 22’s World Earth Day.

“At Klarna, we solve problems – that is the heart of what we do for both consumers and retailers,” said Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Co-founder and CEO of Klarna. “Consumers want transparent products to help them bank, shop and pay that reflect the way they live their lives, not just outdated traditional models. Each and every one of us at Klarna will continue to work hard on this, but it is also time for us, with our culture of change, disruption and innovation, to focus on tackling bigger, more complex issues. I believe our industry has a responsibility to help in some way solve global sustainability issues and I hope others will join Klarna in our ambition.”

The post Klarna now valued at $31bn after latest funding appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

Domino’s Pizza broke out as a key player in mobile and digital innovation in the UK and Ireland in November 2009, when it became one of the first fast food delivery chains to implement a convenient online ordering process for desktop computers. A few years later, in September 2010, the chain launched its debut iPhone app, which accumulated 14.2m downloads by 2016, and has won multiple awards since. One of the most appealing draws for repeat customers is the Domino’s Pizza Tracker, which is now available on desktop, mobile, and even Apple Watches.

Over the past decade, Domino’s has risen to become one of the most popular fast food restaurants chain in the world and continues to keep mobile at the forefront of the business. A key ally in its impressive digital strategy is its development partner, Future Platforms.

“Future Platforms aims to create utility, so we design digital tools and products with the view that they drive efficiency, build loyalty and create insights,” says Future Platforms managing director, Adam Croxen. “When it comes to Domino’s UK, the efficiency aspect is how easy it is to order a pizza. If you can create efficiency and make processes easier, people will use it again and again, and more frequently, which in turn builds loyalty. When you’ve got loyalty and people coming back, you can collect a lot of data, which can drive insights and create better services for those customers. We try to do that for all our clients, but it’s specifically apparent with Domino’s, who we’ve been working with for 13 years across both online web and mobile web, and over the last six years, building out their mobile app capabilities.”

“Future Platforms have been a fantastic and long-standing partner to Domino’s, and with their support we’ve achieved more than we ever imagined on mobile,” says Rob Beattie, head of digital product at Domino’s UK. “Right now, we’re working with Future Platforms to develop our current consumer-facing app and our driver-facing GPS app.”

Dominating digital

During the past decade, Domino’s has been a strong example of what a household name can do to continuously dominate in digital and, specifically mobile. Experts have predicted that by the year 2022, the food industry will experience an annual growth rate of 17 per cent [source: Redbytes], and mobile delivery apps must keep up.

“In 2019, we made a big switch in mindset, ensuring that all our visit-generating creative is truly mobile/social first,” says Beattie. “Given that the average view-through rates are a little over a second, we’ve also continued to tighten our messaging and CTAs to ensure that they jump out from the news feed. We’ve increased our efforts on real-time channels like Instagram and Snapchat to ensure we engage customers in the hours and minutes before they order. We’ve also revised our PPC strategy to optimise for mobile, while further refining our positioning on desktop.

“Additionally, we’ve seen further differentiation in intent and behaviour between desktop/tablet and mobile, which has opened up opportunities for us to optimise spend further. We’ve improved the targeting of push and SMS to activate content that better reflects today’s purchase behaviour.”

Croxen adds: “The past year has just been a continuation of the work we’ve been doing on the Domino’s app for the last seven years. We’ve had to really look at the changing landscape in UK food delivery. With the entrance of Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat – who recently went public – it’s about understanding this mobile landscape and how we need to adapt, compete and hold that market leadership position within this specific market. We have to look at customer trends against those competitors, but also how people are changing their use of digital and mobile.

“Then we begin specific research into existing and potential Domino’s customers, to study how they’re responding to the mobile app. We also study what features and functionality we could introduce to the app that would better meet their user needs.

“After having done all that research, we start to implement new features. We sometimes do A/B testing on new features or changes to the app, and we measure functionality. Once we’ve made sure that those features are tested and validated, we roll them out to develop solutions into the app,” Croxen explains.

Award winners

In 2019, Domino’s and Future Platforms exceeded expectations when it came to their mobile strategy and development. Much of the effort both teams had put into the Domino’s UK mobile app resulted in a clear and obvious growth in its mobile customer base. Not only did Domino’s see an increase in mobile order sales through the app, the Domino’s UK office also took home the “Brand of the Decade” Award at the 2019 Effective Mobile Marketing Awards in London.

“Domino’s has always been an early adopter in mobile trends, and we realised very early on that investing in a great app and mobile web experience would help us to hold on to more customers and build better relationships with them. This has proved to be absolutely true,” says Beattie. “In 2019, the vast majority of our sales took place on phones, resulting in our active app user base growing very substantially.

“Mobile channel growth, and the way we’ve harnessed it, has been a significant factor in our continued strong growth, and it’s one of the reasons why we’re a very clear number one in our market. Our app in particular performs very strongly. Our switch to mobile-first communications has seen social response rates increase by over a third, and revenue from social quadrupled versus 2017.”

Future Platforms attributes Domino’s success to a very simple concept: making sure the customer has a memorable and pleasant digital experience. In a market with so many food delivery apps, not all brands reflect a reliable and convenient mobile purchasing journey.

“I think there’s just a growing understanding of the importance of good digital experiences. We’ve seen a number of research pieces come out recently that are showing experiences landing very high on customer’s lists,” says Croxen. “People are prepared to pay more for better experiences, specifically in the digital space. That importance means that businesses have to work very hard on their digital platforms to make sure it’s delivering a great experience. It’s important to remember that digital experiences are a kind of reflection of their brand.”

On that topic, Beattie adds: “Eating pizza is fun and the whole experience around it needs to be fun, too, including the ordering experience. It’s not enough for our apps to just be usable, they need to be fun and engaging, too. We work hand in glove with our brand team to make sure that the Domino’s personality really comes through in everything we do. I don’t think our competitors really deliver on that in the same way that we do, and I think it does give us an edge.”

Payment options

Some of the most popular features on the Domino’s UK mobile app include its safe and secure payment options, such as PayPal, credit card, cash on delivery etc. For customers who aren’t sure what they want to order, the app also features pizza suggestions which can be customized. The app, which is available on iOS and Android, has also been hailed for its easily accessible and available vouchers and promo codes.

The pizza delivery market is currently worth over £2.1bn [Statista] and an estimated 49 per cent of Brits eat pizza at least once a week, being led by the citizens of Oxford. With competition that is constantly growing due to an abundance of food delivery apps, Domino’s is already setting out a plan to ramp up its digital strategy in 2020.

“Currently, we’re building a new app – not going to say too much – but it will have some great new features on top of an even better core UX. We’ll also be implementing some upgrades to our much-loved pizza robot, Dom, as well as building on the voicework we’ve done to improve zero UI capability. Most importantly, we’ll continue to put the customer at the heart of everything we do, and we’ll level up on that in 2020,” Beattie concludes.

The post Talking Mobile with Dominos Pizza appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

Samsung SDS and Syniverse have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a wallet-agnostic, mobile payment platform to enable regulatory-compliant, cross-region mobile transactions for mobile operators and enterprises in logistics, financial, travel and hospitality, media and entertainment, and retail markets.

The companies will bring together Samsung SDS’s Nexledger Universal platform and Syniverse’s Universal Commerce blockchain solution and Mobile Engagement platform to develop a common platform that will work with any mobile operator and allow any mobile user to send money, loyalty points, or other digital currencies to other mobile users or merchants globally.

Samsung SDS’s Nexledger Universal platform enables enterprises to take control of distributed transactions securely and conveniently. The platform has been implemented in various industries, including finance, manufacturing, logistics, and the public sector.

Nexledger Universal offers a flexible application programming interface that can be applied to different blockchains such as Ethereum, Hyperledger Fabric and Samsung’s own Nexledger Consensus Algorithm. In addition, Nexledger Universal can interoperate with diverse wallet-device architectures ranging from Android to the defence-grade Samsung Knox for exceptional security when needed.

Syniverse’s mobile technology products and services provide a secure instant-access platform for customizable multi-channel messaging and connectivity. The platform connects more than 7bn mobile devices in 158 countries and processes more than $35bn in transactions annually for mobile operators and enterprises.

The company’s Universal Commerce blockchain service simplifies, accelerates, and secures multiparty agreements by replacing manual processes with smart contracts, unifying data records, and providing encryption.

“The need for simple, fast, secure, auditable and cost-effective monetary transactions is growing worldwide,” said Samsung SDS America president, Scott Koo. “Today, the cost to consumers and merchants is too high. The proven attributes of blockchain along with the scalability and flexibility of Nexledger Universal, and Syniverse’s decades of payment and settlement experience, create the opportunity to lead the market in delivering a frictionless phone-to-phone or phone-to-merchant payment engine for secure, simple exchange of value. With our shared values, differentiated offerings and extensive capabilities, Samsung SDS and Syniverse are primed to securely convert your mobile phone into an easy-to-use digital wallet.”

The post Samsung SDS and Syniverse partner for mobile payment platform launch appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

Digital consultancy Caution Your Blast has partnered with SumUp, a mobile payments company, to create a free point of donation software that allows charities to collect cashless donations around the world. Before the holiday season began, Caution Your Blast wanted to cut down the cost of setting up contactless donations for charities from £500 to £100.

The software, Give A Little, works with linked Android devices, and enables contactless payments at 20 per cent less cost than market-leading providers. Since Give A Little launched, 438 charities have signed up to use it, with 178 of those charities joining in November alone.

Over £100,000 worth of donations have been received since Give A Little become available to download, and £30,000 of that was donated just in November. Additionally, about 70 per cent of donors enable Gift Aid on their donations.

“From all of my research, Give A Little is the best solution and I’m pretty sure that a lot of churches will soon be going down this route,” said reverend Dan Henderson, St. Andrew’s Church in Hove. “We love the app and are very thankful for the parties involved in working on it. This Christmas we expect it to benefit us in our efforts to help local homeless shelters and beyond.”

“Charities can’t afford to invest in costly card payment systems, yet our increasingly cashless society means they soon won’t have a choice,” said Ben Stewart, founder, Caution Your Blast. “We’re delighted to partner with SumUp to solve this issue and offer charities free, easy-to-use software to step into the future and increase not only the number of donations they can receive, but also the amount they can raise.”

“We approached Caution Your Blast because of their sector experience to develop a charity app, and were up and running in four months – it was a fabulous speed of deployment,” said Peter de Souza, head of business development (UK & IE) at SumUp. “The team has also added new features such as Gift Aid declaration and the ability to play videos on the campaign screen which are boosting the funds being raised even further. It’s an incredible initiative, especially at this time of year and the global potential for this technology is huge.” he added.

The post Give A Little app allows charities to receive contactless donations appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

The ‘Scan, Pay, Play’ system will enable customers to scan items as they wander around store and then pay for them all using their smartphones, meaning the customer is free to leave without waiting around in a queue to pay.

“We want to eliminate all friction from the experience of shopping at PicWicToys. In today’s digital world, customers have come to expect a shopping experience that is smooth and enjoyable,” said Mathieu Charent, team leader of transformation and innovation at PicWicToys. “Working with MishiPay we have now created a magical customer experience that combines the convenience of online shopping with the excitement of exploring our wonderful toy stores.”

The system will first be launched at PicWicToys stores in Lomme, Caen-Mondeville, Villeneuve D’Ascq, St Maximin (Creil), and Le Havre. The company is MishiPay’s latest retail partner, following its launches with MediaMarktSaturn and Decathlon.

“We are delighted to be working with PicWicToys and have seen first-hand their commitment to reinventing retail and creating a frictionless shopping experience for their customers,” said Mustafa Khanwala, founder and CEO of MishiPay. “We are excited to see the impact that our technology will have in their much-loved toy store environment.”

The post PicWicToys launches mobile self-checkout with MishiPay appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

7-Eleven has integrated a new Mobile Checkout feature into its 7-Eleven app, which will let users in New York City pay for items straight from their phone and avoid the checkout line entirely. Mobile Checkout will automatically factor in all in-store promotions, and customers will still be able to earn 7Rewards loyalty points via the app.

“More people are on the go and looking for faster, easier ways to shop than ever before. 7-Eleven continues to redefine convenience with frictionless experiences like Mobile Checkout. Our customers use their smartphone for all kinds of activities that save them precious time,” said Gurmeet Singh, EVP, chief digital, information and marketing officer at 7-Eleven. “Now with the Mobile Checkout feature, customers can control their entire 7-Eleven shopping experience. Not only that, but customers can earn and redeem points on a variety of products when using Mobile Checkout.”

To take advantage of Mobile Checkout, users must have the most up-to-date version of the 7-Eleven app. Once the app is opened, customers can click “Get started” on the home page and proceed to scan all items they’re purchasing. The app can be linked to Apple Pay, Google Pay, debit and credit cards. Once the purchase is complete, a QR code will appear, which will need to be scanned at the confirmation station to alert the cashier the items have been paid for.

“Customers are given lots of options when they walk into a 7-Eleven store, from product assortment and customization all the way to payment methods,” said Singh. “Mobile Checkout is just one more way we can make someones day a little easier and give 7-Eleven customers a convenient checkout alternative to waiting in line during a stores busiest times of day. Its another reason to say, Oh thank heaven for 7-Eleven.”

The post 7-Eleven launches mobile checkout in New York City appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

French bakery chain Paul UK, has partnered with mobile payments and loyalty firm Yoyo, to help deliver its new mobile payments app which will allow customers to accrue and reedem loyalty points when they buy products at a Paul shop.

The Paul UK app, which replaces its La Carte Noir loyalty card scheme, will be available to download from 20 May 2019. For customers to pay via the app they will need to link their credit/debit card to the app which will generate an in-app QR code. The QR code will then be scanned at the till by a staff member.

Yoyo’s commerce API will allow Paul to capture anonymous customer basket data at the point-of-sale which allows the bakery to analyse and segment purchasing behaviour and deliver personalised rewards and offers.

New customers will be given 1,000 points when they download the load – the equivalent of spending £10 – and will be rewarded with further points when they refer a friend.

Maxime Holder, managing director and chairman of Paul, commented, “Launching a mobile payment and loyalty app is an instrumental tool for building on overall customer experience across our 37 UK shops. It allows us to take our existing rewards card, La Carte Noire, into the digital age with Yoyo; making in-store payment fast and easy; whilst recognising personal purchasing behaviour, so that we can tailor our rewards accordingly.”

Troubled cafe chain Patisserie Valerie recently announced it was working with Yoyo on a similar loyalty and mobile payments solution.

The post Paul UK to launch mobile payments and loyalty app appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

P2P money transfers launched in the UK and France in November 2017, marking the first time the feature had been launched outside the US, where it launched in 2015. Despite this, Facebook never made it to any other European countries. Now, both will be discontinued in June.

“On 15 June 2019, we will discontinue P2P services on Messenger or through Facebook messages for all residents in the UK and France,” said Facebook on the help page for the feature. “While you wont be able to exchange money with friends and family, youll still be able to complete other transactions through Facebook, such as making donations to charitable organisations.”

One of the big stumbling blocks for the feature is that it only enables users to send money to people who reside in the same country as them and it’s likely this is one of the reasons it never really caught on. In Q4 2018, Europe accounted for $64m of $274m in ‘payments & other fees revenue’ reported by Facebook.

Though Facebook is killing its P2P payment dreams in Europe, it’ll continue to let users make donations to charity via its main platform.

The post Facebook discontinues P2P payments via Messenger in Europe appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

Until 21 April, customers who purchase coffee through the Caffè Nero app will have the chance to tap or shake their phone to find one of six prize-giving eggs. Prizes include free coffee for a month for 14 winners, 1000s of bonus Caffè Nero loyalty stamps, and free vouchers for a variety of Caffè Nero products.

Each of the eggs has been created in collaboration with the V&A, inspired by an Alice in Wonderland illustration by C.F.A Voysey.

Last year’s campaign saw more than 300,000 Easter eggs open by customers, while over 100,000 new users downloaded the app, according to Caffè Nero and Yoyo.

Caffè Nero launched its payment and loyalty app back in April 2017 – at which point the company’s head of marketing, Marcus Denison-Smith, spoke to us about the thinking behind the app and using it to build better relationships with customers.

The post Caffè Nero launches in-app Easter egg hunt appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

The payment method has been made available at 3,000 Walgreens stores, including those in the places where Alipay users travel the most like New York City, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. By April, the number of stores with Alipay availability is expected to expand to more than 7,000 Walgreens locations.

Walgreens products are already available to Chinese consumers through its dedicated store on Alibaba’s Tmall online marketplace.

“Walgreens is focused on making shopping more convenient for our customers. This collaboration has particular significance for our Chinese customer population, who now has a new way to experience Walgreens,” said Richard Ashworth, Walgreens president of operations. “Not only can they buy our products via our dedicated store on Alibaba’s Tmall Global marketplace, but they will now also be able to shop in the U.S. using Alipay as they would in China. We look forward to the ongoing evolution of our partnership with Alibaba Group.”

According to a Nielsen report released last month, the number of Chinese tourists using mobile payment rose to 69 per cent in 2018 – with mobile payment transactions accounting for 32 per cent of all transactions made away from China, overtaking cash for the first time.

Alipay has formed similar partnerships with other businesses around the world, including a deal with Merlin Entertainments to bring the payment platform to London attractions like the London Eye, Madame Tussauds, and London Dungeon.

The post Alipay made available at thousands of Walgreens stores appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.