PayPal storms the UK high street with inStore app
Your worn down leather wallet has been doing a pretty fine job of clinging on to its power. So far, it's shaken NFC's courage as cash monies don't cost retailers a thing whereas swipe-to-pay tech does. And it's kept fancy check-in payment services like Pay with Square over in the US-side of the Atlantic for now.
But PayPal knows a thing or two about showing cash who's boss. And the new PayPal inStore app for iPhone, iPad and Android looks like it could speed up queues if nothing else.
Shoppers will be able to pay via the app from Thursday 31st May onwards but only in women's clothes shops Oasis, Warehouse, Coast and Karen Millen to start in the UK. In America, FootLocker, Nine West, Abercrombie & Fitch and Toys R Us have all signed up to the scheme.
Set up the inStore app with a pin code then sign into your PayPal account. Then when you want to pay, get a roving shop assistant with an iPad and scanner to scan your onscreen barcode and the money will be taken from your account. Or get your phone scanned at the till – this probably only saves a few seconds but, in theory, you can leave your wallet at home.
PayPal reckons retailers will give discounts to sweeten the deal and the app will work even where there's no reception or Wi-Fi coverage. That's like witchcraft, that is.
UPDATE: You can also use the PayPal inStore app to request a refund. You'll get a unique refund transaction code but then still have to sling it down to the store to show the cashier for your pennies back.
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Comments
Foo Fan Shaun
50 weeks ago
Seeing as how my Samsung Galaxy S3 is being delivered today if PayPal could also add an NFC payment option with this app so the phone can be just swiped over a chip n PIN machine, rather than scanned then I'm sold on the idea
Foo Fan Shaun
50 weeks ago
EDIT: I've just noticed the bit about NFC costing shops a usage fee :(
Seems it'll be a while yet before we're happily swiping our NFC enabled phones over chip n PIN readers
Sophie Charara
50 weeks ago
Exactly, shops have to install NFC readers and they don't like the idea of spending the extra money – I think about 50,000 have in the UK already.
I hate to say it but if Apple put NFC in the next iPhone, maybe that will be enough of a push to get shops on board?
Thundercat
50 weeks ago
PayPal is very expensive to use. Oh well, a fool and his/her money.....
rosehudson
50 weeks ago
Paypal can take a part of every deposit that enters your account.Thats the thing many people dislike it for.
http://www.positivepest.com
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42 weeks ago
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