The BOKIS partnership includes 62 banks that form the small to mid-sized banks segment of the Association of Local Banks, Savings Banks and Cooperative Banks in Denmark, together with four nationwide banks: Sydbank, Spar Nord Bank, Arbejdernes Landsbank and Nykredit Bank.
In February BOKIS launched its first mobile wallet, which is available on Android smartphones and can link to MasterCard and Visa international debit and credit cards.
Today the collective took the next step and became the first in the country to enable customers to use their smartphone to pay with Dankort. By launching a mobile wallet for the iPhone at the same time, they are providing nearly half of the country with a mobile payments facility.
A milestone
"Being the first banks to offer mobile payments with Dankort is a milestone that we are extremely proud of. It reflects the culture of innovation that fuels the BOKIS collective," says Jan Kondrup, director of BOKIS and Local Banks.
Søren Nicolaisen, director of BOKIS and association Nationwide Banks, added: "Dankort continues to be the favorite Danish debit card, and we are seeing a growing interest in mobile payments among Danes, so this was the obvious next step. We are looking forward to hearing our customers' feedback on our new solution, but also understand that a period of familiarization will be required for both customers as well as Danish merchants."
An exciting journey
Nets, the Nordic provider of payments, cards and information services, is behind the development of both the mobile wallet for iPhone and the ability to make mobile payments using Dankort for BOKIS banks. Jeppe Juul-Andersen, Director of Dankort at Nets, commented on the success of the launch:
"Together with the banks in the BOKIS collective we are now taking the first steps to make Dankort available on customers' mobile phones, which we believe will pave the way for growing mobile payments in the Danish retail sector.
"It will be an exciting journey that we are looking forward to embarking on together with Danish consumers," he says. "It will remain completely free to use Dankort and storing the card on your mobile will become part of the current offering."
Widespread availability
It is important to the Confederation of Danish Enterprise that their customers can pay with Dankort – including their smartphones. Henrik Hyltoft, Market Director of the Confederation of Danish Enterprise, comments: "Dankort is generally the cheapest method of payment for our member businesses and therefore for their customers. We are pleased that consumers can now pay with Dankort in the same way as other credit and debit cards linked to a mobile wallet. The major retailers are already getting ready to accept Dankort mobile payments, and other stores will follow as they update their POS terminals."
From today, Danish consumers can use their smartphones to pay with Dankort in a number of stores, including Denmark's largest retailer, Dansk Supermarked. Many more retailers are expected to follow in the coming weeks. Danish supermarkets are among the first merchants to accept Dankort mobile payments, via a Bluetooth acceptance device that sits next to their conventional payment terminals.
Following a simple software update to their POS terminals, all merchants that already accept contactless Dankort card payments will also be able to accept Dankort mobile payments.
First wallets
To make a mobile payment using Dankort, customers must first download a wallet app from one of the BOKIS member banks. Sydbank, Spar Nord Bank, Nykredit Bank, Arbejdernes Landsbank and Lan & Spar each have their own wallet, while local banks utilize the common My Wallet.
Initially, these wallets will only be available to customers of BOKIS banks. As the solution continues to be developed, however, they will also become available to customers of other banks in the region. In addition, Nets has developed a separate Dankort app for customers of banks that have not developed a mobile wallet that supports Dankort payments.
Easy, secure and fast
As with contactless card payments, for values up to 200 kr., mobile Dankort payments will not require the user to enter their PIN. It is easy, secure, and fast.
Six wallets available:
- AL-Wallet (Arbejdernes Landsbank)
- Lån og Spar Wallet (Lån & Spar Bank)
- Nykredit Wallet (Nykredit Bank)
- My Wallet (medlemmer af Lokale Pengeinstitutter)
- Spar Nord Wallet (Spar Nord Bank)
- Sydbank Wallet (Sydbank)
These apps can be downloaded from Google Play and App Store.
For further comment please contact:
Lisbeth Nielsen, Communications, BOKIS, tel. 20 21 02 30
Søren Winge, Head of Press Relations, Nets, tel. 29 48 26 46
