Connected Screen Demo Shows How Interactive Digital Signs Can Be Contactless Payment Terminals

September 10, 2016 by Dave Haynes

tiff

The transaction processing company Ingenico is demonstrating a slick “connected screen” concept at the Toronto International Film Festival that allows people to just wave their Visa credit card at an LCD screen to make a donation.

This is the first North American demonstration of a concept that’s been shown in Europe – enabling people who are taking in TIFF this weekend to donate up to $5 to something called the TIFF Pocket Fund, an organization dedicated to ensuring that every young person has access to TIFF’s educational programming regardless of their financial circumstance.

“Throughout our long history as sponsor, we’ve continued to expand access for filmgoers with interactive experiences that heighten the excitement of the Festival,” says Brenda Woods, head of marketing, Visa Canada, in a press release. “Our activation at Roy Thompson Hall showcases Visa’s leading edge payment technology, transporting consumers to the future of commerce.”

“As we expand our offering to increase touch points for payments acceptance, digitization allows for unique and engaging consumer experiences,” adds Suzan Denoncourt, managing director, Canada, Ingenico Group. “The integration of our secure payment technology into connected screens enables merchants to interact with their consumers in creative ways, while enabling frictionless purchases virtually anywhere via contactless credit card or NFC-enabled mobile wallet.”

I got briefed on the concept by Chris Tyghe from Ingenico a few months ago, and was told what’s happening is there is a contactless reader embedded inside the display, behind the LCD screen layer. Presumably the display is edge-lit so there isn’t a big shadow where the reader is blocking a backlight.

So a user waves or taps the screen at an area designated by the content design, and the screen therefore becomes a payment terminal.

You could of course do that with peripheral devices bolted on to the side of a screen, but then you have arrows and flashing lights and things trying to orient people as to where they direct the card. Think of how much fun it is to use an unfamiliar airport parking payment kiosk, with slots all over the place.

Something that says tap your card or NFC-enabled phone here, and the content changes on the screen to confirm it was read. This has real possibilities.

Here’s a video of how it was used in France, from late last year. Similar charity concept.

https://vimeo.com/146323888

  1. Nice and informative post and I am following some of the blogs and forums you have mentioned. Keep posting.

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