Finally a North American smart use of QR code
The functionality of linking the QR code to streamline bill payment is a smart idea. QR codes have become the de rigeur addition to all marketing materials in North America, but they are functionally useless. I have written about this before.
The original use of QR in Japan by marketers was tied to specific offers and coupons for restaurants and the like. There was a point. Meanwhile in North American the codes generally link to a marketing page or a home page.
Back to the BillTrust idea. By tying the QR code to a useful function that bypasses clicks will provide much better success.
HAMILTON, NJ – (March 19, 2013) – Billtrust, the leader in Customer Centric Billing, today announced the immediate availability of QR codes for biller statements. The service lets consumers and businesses pay their bills online in a single step, simply by scanning the QR code with a suitably-equipped smartphone.
With this new addition to their suite of payment services, Billtrust can imprint a QR code on any outbound billing document. When the recipient scans the code they are taken to a mobile web page for instant electronic payment. Pertinent billing information is already entered on the page, making payment a streamlined process. The QR code can also be used to bring a user to an online billing site where enrollment is easily initiated.