MUNICH, February 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
- Payment processing and acquiring via Wirecard
From March 2012, myTaxi will provide its connected taxis with Wirecard AG's mobile card reader solution. The mobile smartphone add-on is branded as the "myTaxi card reader". This allows taxi drivers to settle each taxi journey cash-free, including trips that were not ordered using myTaxi. The myTaxi card reader is currently being launched in Germany, Spain and the USA to accept MasterCards and EC-cards; Visa is currently being planned. Additional countries will follow soon.
Last year, myTaxi launched the first mobile payment system with "myTaxi Payment", which allows taxi journeys to be paid directly from a smartphone to a smartphone in the taxi. The myTaxi app handles the payment process, and Wirecard processes and accepts the stored credit card data.
"The myTaxi card reader is an additional myTaxi Payment product. We offer drivers not only direct taxi ordering, but also the opportunity to settle the entire payment process for all of their passengers using myTaxi, in just a single app," noted Niclaus Mewes. myTaxi's co-founder and CEO continued: "We have more than 20,000 connected taxis, which gives us the most extensive access to the taxi market compared to our competitors."
Thanks to the increasing spread of smartphones, mobile card readers meet the current payment behavior trends. More and more consumers are choosing to pay at the till with their credit or debit card. Cards are now the most favored means of payment at around 40 per cent.[1]
Brigitte Häuser-Axtner, Vice President Digital Sales with Wirecard, commented: "Together with myTaxi we have developed an innovative payment product, which is linked to the existing app. Thanks to this integrated concept it makes it easier for taxi drivers to accept payment."
The myTaxi card reader uses the white label program offered by the payment specialist Wirecard. This comprises a hardware dongle with a magstripe reader, which is attached to the smartphone, and the associated card acceptance agreement.
The payment application has been integrated into the existing myTaxi App for drivers, in order to guarantee fast, simple processing. The payment data transfer is encrypted, and is in line with the highest security requirements. The customer confirms payment by signing the smartphone's touch screen. A receipt can be sent by e-mail if desired.
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1. see EHI Retail Institute GmbH, April 2012
Visit Wirecard at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona
(25 - 28 February 2013), booth 7F03.
About myTaxi:
myTaxi is an Intelligent Apps GmbH product and was born in June 2009 by the two founders Sven Külper and Niclaus Mewes. The Hamburg-based start-up is a pioneer and market leader, with more than 100 employees in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Poland and the USA. The app to order taxis allows a direct link between the taxi driver and the passenger. The app has been downloaded more than three million times and is available in 30 cities with 20,000 connected taxis. myTaxi was recently honored by App-Store as the "App of the Year" for 2012. Investors include T-Venture Holding GmbH (Telekom GmbH), car2go GmbH (Daimler AG), the KfW banking group, e42 GmbH and Lars Hinrichs (Cinco Capital GmbH). Further information can be found online at: http://www.mytaxi.com
About Wirecard:
Wirecard AG is one of the leading international providers of electronic payment and risk management solutions. Worldwide, the Wirecard Group supports over 13,000 companies from a wide range of industry segments in automating their payment processes and minimizing cases of default Wirecard Bank AG is a Principal Member of Visa, MasterCard and JCB and operates as a credit card acquirer in 69 countries around the world, involving over 100 transaction currencies and 18 payout currencies. Part of the Wirecard Group, Wirecard Bank provides innovative solutions in the fields of corporate banking, prepaid and co-branded cards, along with account products for both business and private customers.
Wirecard AG is listed on the Frankfurt Securities Exchange (TecDAX, ISIN DE0007472060, WDI).
http://www.wirecard.com | http://www.wirecardbank.com | http://www.mywirecard.com
Wirecard media contact:
Wirecard AG
Maren Brandt
Einsteinring 35
D-85609 Aschheim
Germany
Tel.: +49(0)89-4424-1425
Fax: +49(0)89-4424-2425
E-mail: maren.brandt@wirecard.com
Internet: http://www.wirecard.com
myTaxi media contact:
myTaxi
Lina Wüller
Große Elbstrasse 273
D-22767 Hamburg
Germany
Tel.: +49(0)40-3060689-28
E-mail: l.wueller@mytaxi.com
Internet: http://www.mytaxi.com
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