Absa, the African subsidiary of Barclays, has explained the delay of its mobile point-of-sale device, the Payment Pebble.

The bank first announced the Pebble, developed by South African tech company Thumbzup, in November 2012 and was due to launch it early this year. A spokesman for the bank has now said Absa group is still awaiting paperwork completion with testing bodies.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Willie van Zyl, head of commercial cards and cards acquiring at Absa, said: "We are very close. We are absolutely ready to pilot. We have gone through every testing step, we’ve passed every test."

The card division of Absa said that because the product was developed in South Africa and for South African users, it needed to meet certain international standards.

Van Zyl went on to say he expected the Payment Pebble to hit the markets by the end of the year.

The mobile payment system will reportedly be used in Absa’s African markets before being rolled out across Europe by Barclays.
The Pebble will have to contend with rival mobile POS systems in Africa. Nedbank claimed victory as the first mobile POS in South Africa when it launched its PocketPOS in February.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Last October, Powa Technologies Group agreed to develop a mobile payment device for South Africa’s First National Bank (FNB). FNB is so far reluctant to set a launch date. The bank said: "We are in the final stages of certification and design and will soon be active with the product."

 

Related articles

Absa launches Shari’ah compliant Cheque Bundle Account

Absa launches easy access savings account