In the summer of 2022, Kaufland introduced a new system with the “K-Scan” hand scanners that help customers get through the checkouts more quickly. Another innovation will follow in 2023: Kaufland Pay. This is a completely new payment method that does not require cash, bank cards or the Internet.
So far, shopping in the supermarket can usually be paid for in the traditional way with cash, bank card or even mobile with a smartphone. After an initial test phase, Kaufland launched another payment process in cooperation with Bluecode that is integrated into its own app. The special thing about Kaufland Pay: It should work even when users are not logged into the mobile internet.
This is how Bluecode works via the Kaufland app
The supermarket chain implements Kaufland Pay in its app together with the Austrian-Swiss company Bluecode and the service provider Payone. As of this week, the new payment method is officially part of the Kaufland Card, the in-house app, which also functions as a digital customer card. The Germany-wide launch of Kaufland Pay follows a trial operation that has been available to selected customers in some German branches since May.
Using the new payment method is extremely easy. Customers register in the app and enter their account details under the relevant tab. They can then pay for all purchases via the app, regardless of the value of the goods. To do this, scan the QR code displayed on the Kaufland Card at the checkout.
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Kaufland Pay also works offline
As Kaufland confirmed to us, the new payment method also works offline if customers are temporarily not connected to the Internet. Customers and cashiers can tell that the payment process via Kaufland Pay was successful by the color change of the QR code. This color changes from black to blue, hence the name Bluecode. “The automatic payment process remains visually comprehensible on the smartphone screen,” Kaufland told TECHBOOK.
The provider advertises that the Bluecode process can also be used for self-checkout at the self-service cash registers. By integrating it into the Kaufland Card, customers can collect bonus points during the payment process without having to scan another card. “In the future, the Kaufland Card will not only represent an attractive combination of various offers such as extra discounts, coupons or competitions, but also an even simpler payment system.”
Also read: Kaufland K-Scan is set to fundamentally change shopping
Just another payment service?
The new payment function increases the scope of the Kaufland Card, which many users already show when paying to collect points. It remains to be seen how much Kaufland Pay will actually be used in the end. Because there are still people who don’t own a smartphone, don’t register with the Kaufland Card or don’t want to use their device to pay. The supermarket simply will not achieve this with the new offer. And then there are also those who already use mobile payment methods such as Apple Pay or Google Pay and do not need an alternative that requires them to provide their sensitive data again.
Information about Bluecode and data protection
Kaufland’s partner Bluecode is a company specializing in finance and payment processes that was founded in Austria in 2015. The provider states that it does not store any personal data, so all data provided during the payment process remains with the licensed bank. “The payment information itself is sent to the bank anonymously. The entire data transfer is encrypted and meets the latest security standards,” says Kaufland.
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In order to protect the payment function within the Kaufland Card, the supermarket relies on securing the function using a security PIN, fingerprint or biometric facial recognition. “Kaufland Pay offers a European alternative to the large American and Asian mobile payment solutions,” said the company spokesman.
Kaufland Pay is not the first individualized payment method to use Bluecode. The drugstore chains Rossmann and Müller, the Globus hardware store and selected companies within the Rewe Group also use the payment method in their apps. Rewe itself has been using Bluecode in Austria since the beginning of 2021.