PASMO RFID Points and Coupons

Written by: Michael Keferl on April 19, 2008 at 11:35 pm | In Marketing & Ad Trends, Technology & Gadget Trends |

Since the end of 2007, Tokyu Corporation affiliated shops have been using the PASMO RFID payment card as a substitute for the ubiquitous point card programs. Because just about every shop and restaurant has such a program, Japanese consumers are left with an array of point cards in their wallets that never seem to get filled completely.

PASMO allows Tokyu shops to put it all onto one card, allowing members to get rid of their previous magnetic-strip card from Tokyu and integrate it with a card that is becoming more purposeful every day. Keio has a similar integration program as well.

Tokyu’s shop RanKing RanQueen, well-known to Shibuya Station commuters, even has some nice digital signage out front that lets users receive coupons simply by placing their Pasmo cards to the transmitter.

However, we wonder if centralizing points from different sources onto one card is actually a good thing for either businesses or consumers. As it is now, people are carrying point cards and coupons that also serve as reminders to go to the shops in the first place. Even with special branding, such as listing affiliated shops on the card, the effect of contactless RFID means that it’s often unnecessary to even remove the card from a wallet or case to begin with.

PASMO official page here

Tags: Coupons, PASMO, Point Cards, Retail, RFID