MILAN, Italy – Autogrill (Milan: AGL IM) announces it has signed an agreement with PayPal, the leading provider of web-based digital payment and money transfer services.
Under the partnership, the Group will gradually introduce across all its directly operated points of sale a mobile proximity payment system enabling customers to make fast and easy payments via smartphone using an app integrated with the PayPal platform and the main credit cards.
“The agreement with PayPal strengthens Autogrill’s leadership in the Food & Beverage sector on the technological front too. With this new system, in fact, we can respond rapidly to the needs and style of travelling of modern consumers,” said Autogrill Europe CEO Alessandro Preda.
“This new service will work alongside other high technology services already offered by the Company, such as e-invoicing, self ticketing and customer loyalty systems. In this way, our Company will be fully equipped for the challenge of digitalization of services and for successful operation in a market in continual evolution,” concluded Preda.
Autogrill thus continues to digitalize services and offer its customers innovative solutions that ensure greater convenience, time saving and a smaller ecological footprint. It will also enable the Group to loyalize its customers with dedicated promotions and services.
This new initiative follows on from other innovative services developed by Autogrill for the benefit of consumers, such as the recent introduction of free Wi-Fi connectivity in Italian motorway service areas.
“Collaboration with Autogrill is an extraordinary opportunity for PayPal to immediately put into practice the idea of New Money we aired in our recent advertising campaign,” said PayPal Italia General Manager Angelo Meregalli.
“Our customers will be able to shop at points of sale using their smartphones, whatever the brand, and the special app for Autogrill. A big first step for our latest PayPal-in-app and PayPal-in-store solutions.”
Autogrill chose PayPal’s Paydiant platform as white label technology provider for the partnership.
Acquired by PayPal in 2015, Paydiant focuses on reinventing mobile payments and has helped major brands like Subway, Harris Teeter, Capital One and many more to implement mobile payments, offers and loyalty programs in their apps.
IBM, the Group’s partner in the field of innovation and the development of software, infrastructure and protocols, will also be engaged on the project.
