MasterCard Powers First Commerce Application within SoftBank Robotics’ Humanoid Robot “Pepper”
Pizza Hut Restaurants Asia P/L to pilot commerce-based application of
Pepper to deliver a range of new in-store consumer experiences
PURCHASE, N.Y. & PARIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–MasterCard today unveiled the first commerce application for SoftBank
Robotics’ humanoid robot Pepper.
The application will be powered by MasterPass,
the global digital payment service from MasterCard that connects
consumers with merchants, enabling them to make fast, simple, and secure
digital payments across channels and devices. Pizza Hut Restaurants Asia
P/L will be the inaugural launch partner working together with
MasterCard to create innovative customer engagement with Pepper.
A major first step forward in bringing conversational commerce
experiences to merchants and consumers, this new app extends the robot’s
ability to integrate customer service, access to information and sales
into a seamless and consistent user experience. Pizza Hut Asia will be
piloting Pepper for order-taking and personalized engagement to enhance
customer service in-store by end of 2016.
“Consumers have come to expect personalized service, customized offers
and simple and seamless processes both in-store and online,” said Tobias
Puehse, vice president, innovation management, Digital Payments & Labs
at MasterCard. “The app’s goal is to provide consumers with more
memorable and personalized shopping experience beyond today’s self-serve
machines and kiosks, by combining Pepper’s intelligence with a secure
digital payment experience via MasterPass.”
A consumer will be able to initiate an engagement by simply greeting
Pepper and pairing the consumer’s MasterPass account by either tapping
the Pepper icon within the wallet or by scanning a QR code on the tablet
that the robot holds. After pairing with MasterPass, Pepper will be able
to assist cardholders by providing personalized recommendations and
offers, additional information on products, and assistance in checking
out and paying for items. Pepper will be able to initiate, approve and
complete a transaction by connecting to MasterPass via a Wi-Fi
connection and the entire transaction happens within the wallet.
“We are excited to welcome Pepper to the Pizza Hut family,” said Vipul
Chawla, Managing Director of Pizza Hut Restaurants Asia. “Core to our
digital transformation journey is the ability to make it easier for
customers to engage, connect and transact with Pizza Hut. With an
order-and-payment-enabled Pepper, customers can now come to expect
personalized ordering at our stores, reduce wait time for carryout, and
have a fun, frictionless user experience.”
The app was built by the MasterCard Labs team in Singapore, one of the
company’s eight research and development centers across the globe. The
Pepper application adds to ongoing MasterCard programs that bring
payments to any consumer gadget, accessory or wearable– from fitness
bands to refrigerators
and now robots. The integration with Pepper has the potential to open up
opportunities in the world of retail such as personalized shopping and
concierge services, in-aisle checkout and the ability to buy in store
but get the goods delivered at home. The same capability would also be
applicable to other consumer engagement locations such as hotels, banks,
airports, and other customer service industries.
The app is being showcased at the Pepper
Partners Europe event hosted by SoftBank Robotics Europe (a SoftBank
Robotics Holdings group company) in Paris from May 24 – 26, 2016.
About MasterCard
MasterCard, www.mastercard.com,
is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the
world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers,
financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more
than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard products and solutions
make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running
a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more
efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MasterCardNews,
join the discussion on the Beyond
the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement
Bureau.
About Pizza Hut:
Pizza Hut, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM), delivers more
pizza, pasta and wings than any other restaurant in the world. The
company began 58 years ago in Wichita, Kansas, when two brothers
borrowed $600 from their mom to start a pizzeria.
What started out small has become the biggest pizza company in the world
and today operates more than 16,000 restaurants in over 100 countries
serving innovative pizzas, traditional favorites like the signature Pan
Pizza, and much more. For more information, visit www.pizzahut.com.
Contacts
MasterCard
Chaiti Sen, 914-263-6542
chaiti_sen@mastercard.com
