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Marco Island, Fla. — Mobile wallet platform Badge emerged as the fourth FMItech Pitch Competition champion at the FMI – The Food Industry Association's Midwinter Executive Conference last month. In this article, we feature a Q&A with Badge’s co-founder and CEO, Eric Senn, who shares insights on the company’s winning pitch, the future of mobile wallets, and how retailers can leverage this technology for enhanced customer engagement.
Badge is a no-code mobile wallet platform that enables retailers to deliver app-like, personalized experiences directly within Apple, Google, and Samsung Wallets without requiring app downloads or online accounts. The mobile wallet company also offers the first embedded wallet platform to POS and SaaS companies.
“This year’s competitors are tackling solutions to critical issues such as market shifts, supply chain disruptions, and workforce challenges,” said Doug Baker, FMI’s vice president of industry relations. “Our winner stands out for their mobile payment technology, highlighting the powerful role technology can play in transforming our sector.”
The following is an excerpt from a Q&A session with Eric Senn, co-founder and CEO at Badge
Congratulations on your recent win at FMI! Tell us a bit about your winning pitch.
Thank you! That was incredibly exciting. FMI’s Midwinter Conference Pitch Competition is designed to showcase the newest, most valuable. FMI has won the FMItech Pitch Competition with its no-code mobile wallet platform, revolutionizing personalized customer experiences. Retailers can now deliver app-like engagement directly in mobile wallets—no downloads required!
Why are mobile wallets the next big channel for retailers?
Driving app downloads is really hard for brands and retailers. Apps can be cumbersome to download and there is consumer fatigue in the channel. SMS and email marketing present their own challenges with spam.
Mobile wallets provide a really interesting alternative, offering a seamless and easy way to engage with customers. Mobile wallet passes are easy to download, and once they’re downloaded, have a 100% notification opt-in rate – meaning you can reach your customers with relevant offers at any time.
And although the channel still feels new from a brand perspective, adoption is there from a consumer perspective: by the end of next year, we expect over 5B users across Apple, Google, and Samsung wallets. That’s more users than TikTok and Instagram combined.
Can you tell us more about Badge’s mobile wallet solution?
Badge is a B2B SaaS company that makes it easy for retailers, POS, and SaaS companies to:
· Build interactive loyalty & membership cards, gift cards, and coupons in wallets.
· Send in-wallet offers, push notifications, geo-triggered campaigns, and more.
· Track wallet performance with analytics on engagement, redemptions, and campaign effectiveness.
Carrefour is an early customer of Badge. Tell us about their integration.
For Carrefour, Badge effectively solves the issue of low app adoption, common in grocery retail - most loyalty members don’t use apps regularly. In contrast to downloading the Carrefour app, which takes 14 steps, adding the loyalty card to your mobile wallet is just one step. By offering existing loyalty members a one-click "Add to Wallet" experience, Carrefour was able to drive strong adoption with minimal friction. Carrefour then uses the Badge marketing suite to send customers personalized offers, directly to their wallets.
In 2024, Carrefour saw a 24% increase in Average Transaction Value from customers using mobile wallet passes. Notably, 19% of those transactions came from new members who signed up for the loyalty program.
How does the mobile wallet fit into a brand’s overall digital ecosystem?
Mobile wallets are a new asset that connects seamlessly to your digital ecosystem. In addition to driving incremental transactions, they can also drive new app downloads and collect valuable customer data. Mobile wallets increase the number of digitally engaged customers because they’re so easy to use.
What advice do you have for brands who haven’t implemented a wallet strategy yet?
If you haven’t yet developed a wallet strategy, now is the time to explore it. Mobile wallets are becoming an integral part of consumer behavior, and brands that aren’t engaging there could be missing out on a huge opportunity. If you’re not sure where to start, come talk to us, and we can help guide you through implementing a successful mobile wallet strategy.
Visit Badge's website or contact Eric Senn directly at eric@trybadge.com to learn more.
