Technology is all about making things easier for us and helping us get things done. In this day and age, where everything is going digital, the finance industry is also moving forward with new innovations. Three of Netherlands tech titans, Picnic, Rabobank and Adyen, are now collaborating to make payments easier for their users. The companies are introducing a new pilot program for Netherlands-based customers so that they can add Maestro debit cards as a new payment method in Picnic.Â
Direct and easier payments
Storing Maestro debit card information in Picnic will enable consumers to check out faster. This option is said to be faster and simpler as compared to other online payment methods such as iDEAL, which introduce multiple steps via a banking app or card reader to complete a payment.Â
The new feature has been developed in collaboration with some well known names in tech. Rabobank, Mastercard and Adyen worked on the new feature, which will be tested by ‘hundreds of consumers’ of websuper, in the coming weeks. Following the trial run, a nationwide rollout of the feature is expected to happen.Â
Co-founder of Picnic, Michiel Muller, says, “With this new payment method, that has already been renamed Picnic Pay by trial customers, it is also possible for us to refund money immediately. So if the bananas are too brown, the customer will have the purchase amount back in their account within seconds. Deposit too, is settled immediately and this swift operation is something our customers really appreciate.”
Dutch entrepreneurs’ initiative grows bigger
Picnic launched back in 2015 but even before that, the company worked silently with a team of 30 members for 3 years. It delivered groceries and enabled its users to check where their order currently is and by what time it will be delivered via the Picnic shopping radar. The startup managed to keep costs low to offer free deliveries and lower priced groceries.
Picnic started off as an initiative by Dutch entrepreneurs Joris Beckers and Frederik Nieuwenhuys. The duo owned Fredhopper, a personalisation software for online shops. Serial entrepreneur Michiel Muller, and Bouke van der Wal joined the team soon after and finally, retail entrepreneur Gerard Scheij also came on board.
Image credits: Picnic
