Postal delivery workers in rural Spain can now accept contactless payments on an Android NFC smartphone or tablet, enabling residents to pay for a range of goods and services as well as deposit and withdraw cash from their own home without needing to visit a bricks-and-mortar post office or bank.

Spanish postal service Correos has rolled out a software point of sale (sPOS) solution on mobile devices issued to more than 6,000 staff in rural areas where residents would otherwise have to travel to use post office services, banks and ATMs.

“The objective is that the residents of these towns, from the door of their house and without needing to travel, can access services such as the purchase of blister packs of stamps, envelopes, packages of different sizes, pay bills for services such as electricity, gas or telephone, acquire environmental labels from the DGT [Directorate-General for Traffic], pay for a shipment, a certificate or a cash on delivery purchase,” says Worldline, the payment services provider that developed the solution with technology provider SoftPos.

“The heart of the solution is an app […] which converts these devices into a contactless payment terminal that simplifies and automates the collection and payment process in these areas, where there are normally no banks or ATMs, without the need for postmen to carry a point of sale terminal to use.

“The system is as safe as traditional terminals since they follow brand specifications and PCI-DSS and PCI CPoC regulations.”

Following the initial rollout, Correos plans to expand the service to a further 18,000 delivery staff across the country.

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