Mobile in-store payment system, Ammo

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Danette Breitenbach

Ammo, wiWallet's first mobile wallet, launched by Brandnew Marketing on behalf of LifeWorld, a company that offers customer-based loyalty programs, is currently being introduced to Cape Town through a series of activations.

Ammo is said to be the only free WAP-enabled mobile phone application that allows users to make a payment in an in-store environment using a 6-digit transaction code.

The first was at the 12 000-people strong Rocking the Daisies music festival on 10 October 2009. The second was the Ammo Amazing Race that was held on 17 October, which saw 90 top spenders with phones loaded with Ammo participate in a race around the city, where they were required to decipher clues, which led them to stores where they used Ammo to purchase various items.

The system also gives users the freedom to buy airtime through their phone, pay a friend directly from their Ammo account into their friends' one and pay for electricity, water and traffic fine bills, all from where they are at any given time.

Participating Cape retailers

• Vida e Caffe
• Primi Piatti
• Mugg & Bean
• Osumo
• Kauai
• Nando's
• Café Caprice
• Arnolds
• Soupa Café
• Salushi

A national rollout is planned for February 2010. The website goes live on 2 November 2009 on www.ammomobile.co.za, and the application can be downloaded free by typing www.ammo.mobi into a phone browser and following the links.