New: B&B HOTELS takes off with PAY WITH CHARLIE

First hotel chain in Germany to offer innovative payment via QR code from Berlin-based ZIIB GmbH

In 100 B&B HOTELS hotels in Germany, customers can now pay with their smartphone via QR code from PAY WITH CHARLIE. This makes shopping even easier and safer, initially at the snack vending machine touchpoint. After all, most people always have a smartphone at hand, even in the hotel, and can buy a snack immediately without logging into the vending machine. This is in line with the hotel chain’s strategy: „Under the motto ‚keep it simple‘, we offer our guests exactly what they need: High-standard comfort, design and first-class services at an attractive price. This leaves more money for the actual reason for the trip. And that’s exactly what we achieve with cashless payment acceptance from PAY WITH CHARLIE,“ says Alexander Brandt, Head of Innovation Management at B&B HOTELS.

Payment via QR code creates new offers at vending machines in the hotel.

B&B HOTELS also benefit from the simple solution in several ways:. Equipping the vending machines with the PAY WITH CHARLIE-BLE module is uncomplicated and inexpensive. There is no need to cut open the body of the vending machine for installation, nor is there any need to install an Internet connection. It also reduces the amount of cash required, in line with the international trend towards fewer coins. „We are one of the leading hotel chains in the area of Value for Money, which has already internalized the digital trend well, so PAY WITH CHARLIE fits well into the concept,“ says Alexander Brandt, „in the future, we want to monetize further touchpoints with PAY WITH CHARLIE and thus not only say goodbye to the problem case ’small change‘, but also offer customers new offers and added values that were not possible before in this way.“

Better customer experience and more efficient transaction processing.

PAY WITH CHARLIE is the innovative, modern cashless payment solution via QR code that can be used simply anywhere and requires no terminal hardware. With QR code payment acceptance, hotel guests can pay easier and faster at vending machines, for example. That’s because this payment option makes a lot of things easier. „The potential applications for QR code payment are diverse and offer opportunities for a better customer experience and more efficient transaction processing,“ says Nicole Groß, Managing Director of ZIIB GmbH.

PAY WITH CHARLIE on trend – cashless payment increasingly popular in German hotels

Germany lags behind internationally, while other countries such as Scandinavia and the Netherlands are almost completely „cashless“. But cashless payment is also becoming increasingly popular in German hotels. Acceptance of credit cards and debit cards is already a matter of course in many hotels. Some also offer the option of paying by NFC-enabled smartphone or smartwatch. Elsewhere, there are already vending machines where you can make cashless payments. These are often found in the lobby or common areas and usually accept credit and debit cards as well as NFC payments. However, integrating cashless payment options for these machines is often very expensive and not profitable for many hotels. But touchpoints such as snack vending machines, coffee machines or laundromats offer an opportunity to become profitable for the provider very quickly wherever PAY WITH CHARLIE can be used. Even ski cellars can be monetized by integrating PAY WITH CHARLIE.

Customer relation via loyalty programs

„In the future, more and more personalized offers will be made. Those who consume a lot will receive a bonus. This is easily possible with PAY WITH CHARLIE, because we can offer coupons tailored to the customer’s buying behavior,“ says Nicole Groß. Even marketing cooperations are easier. For example, products from certain partners such as Amex or Red Bull can be offered at a discount. PAY WITH CHARLIE thus offers an interesting alternative for the vending industry and will soon be increasingly used here, as in other sectors. The inclusion of product placement on the customer’s smartphone is also a possible feature.

About ZIIB Zahlungssysteme GmbH (ZIIB)

With its know-how and implementation strength, ZIIB Zahlungssysteme GmbH (ZIIB) is developing the future payment system in Europe.

ZIIB in Berlin is a young, independent „solution provider“ with various experts in the card business that understands „Payment as a Service“. As a neutral partner of banks, savings banks, industry and retail, ZIIB has crucial experience and customized solutions.

In 2016, ZIIB was founded by Nicole Groß as a commercial network operator and specialist for cashless payment at the point of sale (PoS) and in online retail. With innovative solutions, ZIIB modernizes the market presence and creates sustainable advantages and a fast payment process at the PoS and in ECom. This means a competitive advantage for merchants and makes payment for consumers, faster, more effective and is above all tailored to their needs. On the basis of a large network, ZIIB is opening up further fields of application for cashless payment methods with the aim of rethinking payment. Particular focus is being placed on the development of the PAY WITH CHARLIE payment acceptance system, which enables payment via QR code and without any terminal hardware at all.

More information at www.paywithcharlie.de

About B&B HOTELS

B&B HOTELS is one of the most important economic hotel groups in Europe. Founded in 1990 in Brest, the group has a network of nearly 700 hotels in 15 countries in Europe and Brazil. The hotel group recorded exponential growth in 2022 with the opening of 97 new hotels and intends to continue this momentum in 2023. B&B HOTELS is positioned in the Value for Money segment and aims to offer its customers comfort and quality at the best value for money. Corporate social responsibility is an important issue for the hotel group. In order to meet consumer expectations and ensure the credibility and transparency of actions that have a positive impact on society and the environment, B&B HOTELS has been certified in sustainability by the independent organization SOCOTEC. B&B Hotels Germany GmbH is a subsidiary of the international hotel group B&B HOTELS. The financially strong group – majority owner is the private equity company Goldman Sachs – plans 400 hotels in Germany as well as Austria and 3,000 hotels worldwide by 2030. In Germany, B&B HOTELS has been present on the market since 1998 and is currently represented with over 165 hotels in 100 cities.

For more information, visit www.bbhotels.com .