IZettle, the social payments company allowing anyone to take card payments with their smartphone or tablet, today announced a partnership with Eurostar, the high-speed train service which links the UK, France and Belgium.
Eurostar is now using iZettle's Chip & PIN readers on-board its fleet of trains to process payments for passengers wishing to upgrade their travel class after commencing their journeys
In 2012 Eurostar processed over £300,000 worth of upgrade sales through on- board transactions. Eurostar has chosen iZettle's platform to help increase the speed and efficiency of its upgrade service, helping to cut down on administration time and allowing its on-board teams to serve more customers. This is particularly important in December when tens of thousands of travellers cross between the UK, France and Belgium over the festive period.
iZettle's Chip & PIN reader is designed for businesses that demand fast, secure and hassle free card payments with maximum flexibility. The Chip & PIN reader, in conjunction with iZettle's free app, connects wirelessly, via Bluetooth, to a smartphone or tablet and allows users to accept card payments and manage their business.
Eurostar On-Board Services General Manager, James Blackwood said: "At Eurostar we believe that our passengers' journeys should be seamless, from the start of the booking process right through to arrival at their destination.
"iZettle gives us the flexibility to offer hassle-free upgrades to passengers once on-board. Using iZettle's Chip & PIN reader we can process upgrade sales more quickly, reducing the number of sales lost using slower, more traditional methods of payment collection. This has helped streamline our on-board upgrade process making the task less complicated for our on-board teams whilst at the same time increasing customer satisfaction."
Jacob de Geer, iZettle's CEO and co-founder said: "We are thrilled that an internationally respected brand such as Eurostar has chosen iZettle as its on board payments solution. iZettle helps businesses provide a mobile and reliable way to accept card payments and there is no better example I can think of as a a mobile business on the go than an international high-speed train.
"The use of mobile payments by major organisations such as Eurostar shows that mobile payments technology is now firmly part of the mainstream."
iZettle's Chip & PIN reader is compatible with all major credit cards including Visa, MasterCard and American Express.