Toronto’s AJB Software debuts mobile wallet at Edmonton gas station

The race to perfect mobile wallet use has been heating up for a while, but Toronto’s AJB Software Design has already hit the ground running at an Edmonton gas station.

In collaboration with Hughes Petroleum, AJB debuted the Hughes Mobile Pay app on March 12, which anyone can now download to their phone and use to pay without going in and dealing with the cashier.

On the consumer end, after downloading the app, registration is required and then entering the pump ID. The pump is activated after the app authorizes the transaction through TD Bank’s Merchant Services. “From the merchant perspective, there’s really minimal changes for them to offer another channel for their customers to pay,” said Eric Wong, special projects director for AJB Software.

AJB has been at the forefront of EMV payment processing, which has been the norm in Europe for several years now, and is poised to wipe out, once and for all, the relatively insecure magnetic stripe technology born in the 1980s. EMV, short for Europay-Mastercard-Visa and developed as a standard-setting conglomerate between the most powerful payment processing firms in Europe, has dictated the transition from magnetic stripe to chip technology. The terms of changing the technology here in North America have been set by the major credit card companies to take place in October of 2013, primarily the shift in fraud liability from card issuers to merchants, something which currently sets the major credit card companies back approximately $8.6 billion each year.

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The adoption of EMV by every mom-and-pop retailer in North America coincides with a future that involves making purchases using your phone as a wallet (using NFC or near field communication technology).

AJB Software has been positioning itself for years as a specialist in point-of-sale technology, courting convenience stores, petroleum companies, apparel and department stores, and the debut of the Hughes point-of-sale app follows an announcement in January that it snagged the title of Payment Technology Provider in VISA’s POS Solutions Program.

Because it’s crowded, striking first in the field of point-of-sale technology is crucial. Earning the endorsement from VISA was huge, and unveiling a first-of-its-kind app helps, too. “Whether it’s EMV, loyalty with real-time POS offer redemption, mobile wallets, or enhanced security & encryption, being first-to-market in this field can provide strong market advantage for our client community and we are constantly strengthening our partnerships with market leaders to bring innovative solutions to our merchants,” said AJB’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Pat Polillo.
The Hughes Mobile Pay app can only be used at their 721 Parsons Road location in Edmonton, with the intention of expanding to its other 22 locations after the technology proves itself. AJB is continuing with plans to expand it wireless pay software to the hospitality industry.

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