OK Mobile Payments App Poised to Hit Netherlands in April

April 3, 2018         By: Steven Anderson

With a name like OK, you might not think much of the newest mobile payments application to hit the Netherlands. This Dutch app, though, is a lot more than its slightly self-deprecating exterior may suggest. OK is set to arrive in April, and by the end of the year, it’s going to be a much more widely available prospect.

OK’s launch plans are anything but merely OK; they’re downright exemplary. The app will hit 5,000 locations throughout the Netherlands at launch, and by the closing of 2018, that number will triple to reach at least 15,000 points.

Users will be able to store credit and debit cards with the app, along with reward cards and similar membership plans / loyalty program setups, which can then be used as in-store payments or online. Customers can even use the app to log in with various partners from the same interfaces. .

DEEN Supermarkten is one of the firms involved, and its representative, Leendert van Eck, noted “We will start in April with stores in Amsterdam and Diemen, and then quickly roll out to the rest of our stores. Besides customer ease of use, the OK platform offers us the possibility to link the online and offline world, because it works in all channels.”

Omnichannel operations are one of those corporate buzzwords that’s actually taken on some life of late. The concept of “omnichannel” basically means “available on every channel”, whether that be online, physical, mobile, social media, or beyond. It gives users the chance to interact with a company their way, which improves the chances of making sales.

Customers like options. We’ve seen this increasingly over the last couple of years, and OK is looking to provide those options in a way customers can get behind. Good news for OK, who will be walking into an environment stuffed full of competitors, some of which are already quite entrenched, and may make for a tough time getting this concept off the ground.

Thankfully, OK looks to be much more than just OK with its loyalty program connections and sheer range of options. It’s going to have a fight on its hands, but with a sound base, OK may be able to stick around longer than some might expect.