Daily Mail Group has introduced digital Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday vouchers. The publisher has promised these will save stores time and cut credit delays and issues.
In October last year, new Mail subscribers began receiving the new Mail Subscriptions Cards. Existing subscribers can also choose to switch from paper vouchers to the new cards. Those using the cards will also receive a digital version on their phone.
Once presented at the counter, the cards can be processed through epay, PaperRound, PayPoint or Payzone. Guides are available for stores on each of these platforms.
Stores with none of the above platforms should download and use the free i-movo xPress app to process payments using the new cards. Similar to existing digital newspaper voucher schemes by the Guardian and i newspaper brands, the cards are powered by PayPoint-owned firm i-movo.
Moving to Daily Mail digital vouchers could benefit retailers as well as readers
Daily Mail Group head of circulation Shaun Jones advised that customers receiving delivered subscriptions should present their newsagent with their ‘HND letter’. This has a barcode that can be scanned to process a payment for each day’s copy. Delivery charges will need to be paid separately.
Jones told Better Retailing the transition to cards “offers our readers a better experience in managing their Mail subscription, but is also designed to remove the time retailers spend handling and processing paper vouchers, ensuring a smoother and quicker payment for retailers”.
Better Retailing understands delays by supermarkets in accepting payments via i-movo on their tills had held up publishers’ plans to switch to digital vouchers. Sources told Better Retailing this was slowly being resolved, meaning more publishers could follow Daily Mail Group’s switch.
Retailers have reservations about Daily Mail subscribers transitioning to cards
Readers can also use the cards at another store. This makes it easier for subscribers with delivered copies to continue accessing their daily read while away from their home.
PayPoint managing director Jo Toolan said i-movo “delivers consistent benefits” in convenience and efficiency for stores, publishers and readers.
Retailers gave a more cautious response to the change. Graeme Pentland, of Ashburton News in Gosforth, Tyne and Wear, told Better Retailing his store has none of the systems needed to process the new cards.
“We only have three or four Mail voucher customers a day and none have cards at the moment,” he said. “So it’s not a big deal yet.
“Hopefully, we’ll just use the i-movo xPress app. We would put the app on a cheap phone behind the counter to use for this purpose. The same as we do for parcels through UPS.”
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