MILAN (ITALPRESS) – 6 out of 10 customers are phygital (meaning they use both digital and physical channels for payment operations), while 7 out of 10 users claim they have a trusted tobacconist. Cash and digital payment methods equally contribute to the spending value of Italians. These are just a few statistics from the payment market revealed during the event “B(e)2People: future payments, digital mind and human heart,” organized by Mooney, the leading Italian fintech in personalized payment, mobility, and proximity banking solutions, controlled by Enel and Intesa Sanpaolo. The event, held at the Payment Hall, provided an opportunity to analyze the context in which operators, with Mooney at the forefront, are operating, outline future scenarios, and discuss consumer habits.
“From our local observation, there is a strong need for proximity – that dimension rediscovered during the past health emergency when the network of tobacconists played a central role in the lives of Italians, elevated to provider of essential services, a support center for the community, and a reference point for neighborhood life,” stated Stefania Gentile, CEO of Mooney. “Indeed, from our experience, digitization must work in synergy with the human element, translating into a model that is not only a business but also a hybrid lifestyle between online and offline, where both forms of interaction mutually strengthen each other.”
According to Mooney, in the current payment landscape, digital embraces proximity. Retail outlets are frequented regularly by young people, who are accustomed to new technologies yet value human contact: among tobacco and bar customers, the 25-34 age group shows a higher presence of 2 percentage points compared to the same age group within the total population (21% vs. 19%), while the 55-65 age group, generally considered more loyal to these types of establishments, is 3 percentage points lower (26% vs. 29% in the total population).
Often, a citizen’s experience begins online and concludes at the local bar-tobacconist.
In fact, 73% of instant and ordinary bank transfers made with Mooney start online with the generation of a QR code, which is then completed at the physical store. This trend is further confirmed by tele-tolling: over a quarter of users receiving digital notifications prefer to complete their purchases directly in a retail outlet rather than online.
Even in e-commerce services (insurance, food delivery, consumer credit, etc.), which are primarily digital, demands for payment reflect the importance of proximity. Through the Pay Every Way platform – made available by Mooney to partner companies to facilitate payments and refunds via QR Code that can be completed in-store or directly online – about 1.5 million transactions are managed annually, a quarter of which are in cash. Among these are transactions that riders can perform toward their provider in a practical and secure manner at bars and tobacconists, even on Saturdays or Sundays.
The local network is also chosen for convenience and flexibility: 3 out of 4 consumers appreciate the extended hours. In fact, around 43% of Mooney outlets are open and conduct operations even on Sundays. Reduced wait times are a favored feature by 2 out of 3 customers, as is the ability to engage in other activities, such as purchasing items (31% of users) or enjoying breakfast and lunch (16%). For example, at points of sale equipped with EasyCassa telematic checkout systems, on average, for every 6 coffee/cafeteria receipts, there is also a payment for a bill. Consequently, users appreciate the so-called “One Stop Shop,” a conveniently accessible point of reference that offers a wide range of products and services. In fact, the Mooney network of approximately 40,000 retail outlets penetrates 64% of Italy’s 8,000 municipalities, with an average presence of 6 outlets for every 10,000 residents.
– photo courtesy of Mooney press office –
(ITALPRESS).
