New customer and merchant apps in EZ-Link’s digital transformation journey
SINGAPORE, 26 March 2019 – EZ-Link Pte Ltd, Singapore’s contactless payment pioneer, today announced the launch of a new digital platform for the TRUST Programme, comprising a Customer App, a Merchant App and a Merchant Administration Portal for a seamless, holistic approach. The move away from a card-based system aims to widen the adoption of TRUST and allow more consumers to be protected for their purchases of spa and wellness prepaid packages.
Since its launch in 2015, TRUST has provided assurance and security to customers across more than 48 spa and wellness operators of the refund of un-utilised value in their packages, should these merchants cease operations. The programme is managed and powered by EZ-Link that acts as the custodian of funds through its bank partner.
With the new TRUST Customer App, customers of participating TRUST merchants can track their packages and transactions, contact their merchants and edit their contact details on the go. They also no longer have to present a card for package redemption.
EZ-Link also unveiled the new TRUST Merchant App for merchants to help their customers register for their account; purchase, redeem, void and refund their packages; and even purchase gift vouchers from a tablet. Merchants can also use the app to update their catalogues, design new promotions and display these offerings to their customers.
The Merchant App is supported by an enhanced web-based Merchant Administration Portal for managing product and user catalogues, approval of refunds, viewing and searching for customer transactions and assessing performance reports.
The digital makeover of TRUST enables merchants to enhance their customers’ journey, free up counter space of multiple terminals, save the hassle of printing product catalogues and shortens time to receive funds after package redemptions.
“The new and improved digital TRUST will extend greater user-friendliness and convenience to consumers while improving productivity, reducing operational costs and expanding business opportunities for merchants. EZ-Link hopes that these benefits will add on to the core proposition of TRUST in protecting customer prepaid monies to stimulate wider adoption of the programme. Our goal is for buying prepaid packages and getting protection for such purchases to be a way of life for our consumers, not just in spa and wellness but in other industries,” said Mr. Nicholas Lee, CEO of EZ-Link.
“Science and technology are the heart and soul of the Global Beauty group of brands. As such, we are definitely on-board with TRUST’s progressive step towards digital transformation. I believe that constant improvement and upgrading are vital to ensure that we deliver the best possible service to all our consumers,” said Amy Quek, CEO, Bella Marie France & Svenson Hair Center.
The beauty industry topped the list of complaints made to Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) in 2018, with almost half of the 1,829 complaints related to loss of consumers’ prepayments due to abrupt business closures and aggressive sales tactics.
TRUST was initiated by CASE; and supported and endorsed by CaseTrust and the Spa and Wellness Association of Singapore (SWAS). Compared to insurance schemes, TRUST does not require upfront premium payment, lengthy sign-up time, underwriting of financial statements, bankers guarantee, cash collaterals, manual administration and annual renewal.
The TRUST Merchant App and Customer App are available for download for Android devices with immediate effect and iOS devices in mid-April 2019. For more information, visit the TRUST Programme website. To keep in touch with the latest updates about EZ-Link, please visit www.ezlink.com.sg or follow EZ-Link’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
About EZ-Link Pte Ltd
EZ-Link’s core business is in the sale, distribution and management of ez-link cards, as well as the clearing and settlement of all ez-link card transactions generated in transit and non-transit (retail/merchant) sectors. To date, more than 30 million new CEPAS-compliant ez-link cards have been issued. In 2015, EZ-Link unveiled EZ-Charms, its first non-card form factor. EZ-Link continues to set new cashless trends with the “My EZ-Link Mobile” application, the world’s first Near Field Communication (NFC) mobile application for contactless card top-ups; “EZ-Link NFC SIM”, the first NFC payment service on Singapore’s public transit; and “EZ-Pay”, Singapore’s first free card-less ERP payment service. In December 2017, EZ-Link launched the new EZ-Link app to enable users to access EZ-Link’s functionalities and services with ease. For more information, please visit www.ezlink.com.sg