Coffee Republic in the UK launches its own NFC payments

In the UK another retailer adopted its own NFC-based pre-paid system to allow visitors to make their payments for coffee in advance while receiving a 10% rebate in exchange. Coffee Republic made a decision to implement their own contactless payment option on the score of their discontent about existing types of payment like cash, credit cards and NFC payments with bank cards.

Along with the contacless payment option Coffee Republic initiated a loyalty program that automatically adds £2 credit after the amount of money paid for the coffee reaches £20. Customers can fund their cards with up to £100 and then wave it at a suitable reader to deduct the value of that day's fix. The loyalty scheme should serve as an additional motivation for the consumers to use the card in light of the fact that the processing fee accounts for 1.5% which is almost the same as a credit card.

The system is from eQuid being based on Mifare - the same technology used by London's Oyster system and the various other contactless payment systems already in operation. While the new card will use the same readers as the existing, contactless, payment systems, counters at the three stores where the system is being deployed (Bluewater, Canary Wharf and Broadgate) are going to have to make space for yet another card reader.