Press release
Lachen (Switzerland)/Vienna/Lagos (Nigeria), March 16, 2022
Bluecode’s Mobile Payment Platform goes live in Nigeria, in cooperation with three Nigerian banks, comprising around seven million consumers. Other banks have announced their cooperation.
It is a great success for Bluecode’s Emerging Markets Division: Since January, three Nigerian issuing and acquiring banks offer Bluecode as a payment method. Bluecode is leveraging a bank’s connection to the Nigerian NIBSS Instant Payment Platform, making transactions in real time – so-called “Instant Payments” – via the Bluecode app and Bluecode-compatible apps possible. Such transactions are processed within seconds, and payments are transferred to merchants immediately. Currently, three Nigerian banks have gone live with Bluecode: Sterling, Providus, and Ingangan. Other banks, such as United Bank of Africa (UBA) with more than 21 million users and the fast-growing neo-bank Kuda with around 1.5 million users have started the integration of Bluecode into their systems.
Bluecode Instant: Pioneering work for Instant Payment in Europe
Merchants and customers of cooperating banks can now use Bluecode Instant as a method of payment. Transactions between them are processed through the Nigerian NIBSS system (Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System). Bluecode transactions between consumers and merchants are processed in real time. Merchants receive a confirmation of payment within seconds. “We were able to seamlessly integrate our technology into the Nigerian Instant Payment infrastructure,” comments Christian Pirkner, CEO of Blue Code International AG. With more than 200 million citizens, Nigeria is the biggest single market in Africa and one of the most dynamic payment markets in the world. “The implementation of an Instant Payment system in Europe is possible. Many would benefit from Bluecode Instant Payment transactions: consumer, merchants, and the credit industry.”
Bluecode: Payment-as-a-Service
The seamless integration into the Nigerian payment system proves how versatilely applicable Bluecode technology is. As a white label solution, Bluecode offers banks and merchants a quick launch into the mobile payment business. “There is a worldwide need for agile and modern payment technology. We want to promote the export of European payment innovation into the world. With our ‘payment scheme-as-a-service’s we also want to address a country’s credit industry’s needs. It includes flexible acceptance technology for merchants and their banks, as well as technology for the integration into data centers and user apps. Additionally, it is a legal and commercial framework that speaks to everybody’s needs”, says Pirkner.
About Bluecode:
Bluecode is the European payment solution that enables cashless payments via smartphone and smartwatch (iOS & Android). In addition to that, value-added services are integrated into bank and merchant apps. The smart and highly secure payment process is compatible with any checking account and based on the Europe-blue barcode which is generated only once and therefore unique. Bluecode is also compatible with any other transfer technology. Bluecode is based on a high-tech solution. Strict data protection for consumers, merchants, and banks is guaranteed. Renowned Bluecode network partners are numerous predominantly Austria- and Germany-based European banks, leading merchants (i.e. Müller, Rossman, the Globus group, Konsum, REWE international subsidiaries Billa, Billa Plus, and Bipa, as well as the Spar Österreich group), as well as stadiums and arenas (i.e. TSG Hoffenheim, SAP Arena Adler Mannheim, 1. FC Köln, FC Augsburg). Support for Bluecode’s expansion efforts comes from the Hopp Family Office and other lead investors. Further information can be found at www.bluecode.com.
