I first used the digital wallet on my mobile phone to download an airline boarding pass. That was three years ago, and now I wouldn’t have it any other way. Updates like gate changes, flight delays or upgrades go right to the wallet. I really appreciate the convenience of pulling out my phone instead of printing and holding onto a paper boarding pass or juggling multiple passes for connecting flights or family members.
The benefits of mobile wallets are catching on fast. According to 2019 research by ACI Worldwide, one in four consumers use mobile wallets to pay bills and 80% of mobile wallet users also store digital tickets and boarding passes.
There are plenty of ways companies can take advantage of the digital wallet apps found on Apple iOS and Android-powered phones to improve the experience for their customers, owners and patients. That’s especially true for customer communications and payments. Here are three use cases:
1. Vacation Package Confirmations
Vacation Ownership companies can send branded and configurable mini-vacation confirmations in the form of a digital pass which includes key information such as resort location, arrival and departure dates and confirmation number. Additionally, once a confirmation pass is added to the wallet application, sponsors can send push notifications that appear on the phone’s lock screen such as:
- Reminder to book travel dates if confirmation is for an open-dated, pre-paid vacation package
- Pre-arrival notification or link to book their preview appointment
- Vacation ownership preview reminder
Data that presents on the front of the confirmation pass is dynamic and will auto-update if/when a customer selects their vacation dates and resort location. Additionally, links on the back side of the pass provide easy access to select their resort and travel dates or access a pre-arrival concierge service.
2. Billing statements
Presenting bills via mobile wallets puts them at consumers’ fingertips. Customers receive an alert on their lock screen that the bill has arrived, then simply open the wallet to review important information including balance, due date and payment options. These mobile bills can also include a link to the biller’s payment portal or other services such as:
- Enroll in auto payments
- Access my account
- Customer support
- Frequently Asked Questions
What’s more, push notifications can be delivered to the customer’s phone to remind them to pay prior to the due date, or alert them if a payment is past due.
A full 40% of customers pay their bills when notified rather than waiting until closer to the due date, according to mobile wallet provider ACI Worldwide.
3. Virtual Membership cards
Mobile wallets eliminate the need for customers to carry around paper or plastic loyalty or membership cards. And the typical 3-4 week wait to receive a physical card is replaced with a near real-time link in a membership app.
Beyond this convenience, this interactive channel promotes stronger customer engagement. Companies can display and update reward point balances on the front of the card or even change the color of the card when certain loyalty thresholds are met (e.g. gold vs. platinum tier). Using push notifications, membership organizations can make special offers, send coupons, and provide helpful information—all of which can be individualized to specific customers or targeted to customer segments.
Getting started
In this increasingly mobile-first world, digital wallets offer new ways to meet customers where they are at and build fresh connections. With Nordis’ ExpressoWallet®, companies can take advantage of this mobile channel to deliver branded real-time, interactive communications and payment options. ExpressoWallet integrates with our ExpressoPay electronic bill presentment and payments (EBPP) system. It’s a single seamless and secure solution for creating and delivering billing statements, marketing messages and other customer correspondence to digital wallets as well as receiving payments.
If you’re interested in exploring how to capitalize on this channel, please contact me at info@nordistechnologies.com to discuss Nordis Technologies’ ExpressoWallet.
About the Author
Bryan joined Nordis Technologies in 2016 to manage and grow the company’s already-large vacation ownership client base. He also is responsible for business development and market expansion in the healthcare and financial services markets. Before joining Nordis, Bryan spent more than 21 years with Interval International, a leading global provider of vacation ownership services. Bryan graduated from Northwestern University with a bachelor of science in political science.
Bryan Ten Broek
Vice President, Business Development
