Barclays has launched a new feature within its mobile app, Barclays Pingit, giving businesses such as insurers the ability to pay individuals using their mobile phone numbers.
CEGA, a provider of global claims and travel risk management, medical assistance and air ambulance services, has chosen to use the Barclays Pingit ‘send a payment' offering.
Businesses can now send payments using an individual's mobile phone number instead of using, or having to hold their banking or card details.
"Barclays Pingit rewards our search for progressive ways to constantly improve customer service and fast track claims," says Warwick Hoddy, CEGA's Financial Director.
"It offers our customers a faster alternative to BACS payments, minimises the need to share personal information and satisfies the increasing desire to interact by mobile phone; putting us at the forefront of technology in the claims arena."
The bank said as businesses look to reduce the physical and environmental costs associated with manual and paper-based processes, including cash handling, cheque production and issuing costs, ‘send a payment' offers a "viable alternative", without needing to seek sensitive account information from individuals.
Payments can reach any UK mobile phone number, regardless of whether they are already registered Barclays Pingit users, and non-registered users will be notified by text message with details of how to register to receive payment.
Mike Walters, head of UK corporate payments at Barclays said: "For businesses it is becoming increasingly important to consider the use of mobile payments as part of their overall business strategy, reducing costly cheque use and improving the experience for their customers."
