Munich Airport introduces mobile payment solution at retail concessions

After introducing a new ‘Smart Checkout – Tap, Pay & Enjoy’ payment solution at one of its eurotrade retail units, Munich Airport (MUC) has become the first location in Europe to offer a mobile, cashless payment process to passengers.

The new initiative makes Munich Airport a pioneer in embracing frictionless payments in a self-checkout version for airport retailers.

The payment solution offers passengers a quick and convenient digital shopping experience, whilst reducing the time it takes to pay for purchases. Additionally, retailers can benefit from lower costs and simplified processes, limiting the congestion at payment desks.

Vice President of Centre Management at Munich Airport, Philipp Ahrens, said: “With the new payment system, Munich Airport is playing an active role in the digitisation of retail and showing yet again that, along with its status as a vibrant and cosmopolitan retail location, it is also increasingly innovative. By simplifying and speeding up the checkout process, we can deliver an even better shopping experience for our 48 million passengers per year and keep pace with their ever-increasing expectations.”

The payment solution was a result of a partnership between Munich Airport and Wirecard, SES-imagotag and wirecube. Passengers are able to use their smartphones to pay for articles at the store shelf by scanning an electronic price tag, subsequently eliminating wait times at the cash register. Customers are redirected to a mobile website for the payment process, and are not required to download the app to complete the purchase, unlike other existing payment systems on the European market.

Sven Zahn, the Managing Director of eurotrade Handels-GmbH, said: “The new payment system gives our customers a self-checkout option for the first time. This offers significant added value for travellers in a hurry: The customer avoids waiting time at the cash register. As Munich Airport’s retail arm, we are expecting a boost in sales – especially for fast turnover goods that are purchased on the go. With ‘Smart Checkout – Tap, Pay, Enjoy’, we are teaming up with Wirecard, wirecube and SES-imagotag to set new standards for mobile payments.” 

Following a successful pilot phase, Munich Airport intends to extend the use of the payment system by introducing it to other eurotrade retail locations, including 12 duty free shops and 14 other stores.