Gemalto the world leader in digital security, is working with Tapit, a platform used by global brands to transform their physical assets into interactive objects, to launch “Tapit and Buy”. This is an innovative solution whereby the consumer taps their smartphone against a Tapit-enabled physical support, such as outdoor media posters, product packaging and in-store marketing materials, enabled by an NFC tag, QR code or beacon. They are then instantly directed to the media owner’s ecommerce site where they can buy digital content, in one click, charged to their operator phone bill.

Tapit and Buy is the first solution of its kind, leveraging Gemalto’s Netsize operator billing system and Tapit’s Cloud Platform to transform a wide range of physical assets into ‘one-tap’ mobile payment terminals. This new collaboration has an initial focus on the UK for transactions worth up to GBP 30 for digital content such as e-publications, video, music and games.

This solution gives enterprises the opportunity to forge direct relationships with consumers via their physical assets, and measure precisely the return on investment achieved by advertising campaigns.

“Tapit and Buy gives brands access to incremental revenue opportunities through their product packaging or point of sale materials, directly associating sales with marketing,” said Tapit Founder Andrew Davis. “Gemalto’s Netsize operator billing technology ensures that payment is secure, seamless and transparent for end users, while Tapit’s platform ensures brands have full control and visibility of how their physical assets are performing in the field.”

“‘Tapit and buy’ brings a completely new dimension to how people interact and transact with brands that brings greater convenience and spontaneity to the consumer domain,” added Frederic Deman, Senior Vice President of Netsize at Gemalto. “A host of stakeholders stand to benefit from new opportunities and revenue streams, including brands, outdoor media owners, marketing and advertising agencies, and mobile network operators seeking to sell direct to millions of potential customers.”