Currence expects growth to continue in 2014
The iDEAL online payment system broke records again in 2013. In the whole of 2013, iDEAL was used more than 142.5 million* times, a year-on-year increase of 21.6 percent (2012: 117.2 million). The increasing use of smartphones and tablets was an important factor in the growth in the number of iDEAL payments.
Currence expects the number of iDEAL payments to continue to grow in 2014
Currence anticipates that the more intensive use of smartphones and tablets will contribute to the continued growth in the number of iDEAL payments in 2014. Although most people use their smartphone and tablet at home, these devices are increasingly being used to shop online on the move or at work. Currence expects to see the number of mobile purchases increase. In 2013, ING, Knab and Rabobank all integrated iDEAL mobile into their apps and other banks are expected to follow suit this year. Piet Mallekoote, Managing Director of Currence, which owns iDEAL: “With the arrival of the new iDEAL mobile, online shopping is set to become even more user-friendly. It will also give an added boost to mobile shopping outside the home. It is now even easier for consumers because payments no longer need to be separately confirmed (by using tokens, for example). This makes it extremely easy to purchase a cinema ticket on the way to the cinema, for example, or to order something to eat on the way home from work”.
May last year saw the first monthly record of 2013 (11.8 million). This record was then broken a further five times** . The year ended with a record number of monthly payments in December (over 14.6 million). Another key milestone was also achieved in 2013: on 29 November, the half-billionth iDEAL payment was made at Dutch webshop cadeau.nl. Total iDEAL sales volumes in 2013 were EUR 10.8 billion: an increase of 24.8% compared to 2012 (EUR 8.7 billion). The average iDEAL payment was EUR 75.78 (2012: EUR 74.20).
iDEAL increasingly used outside traditional e-commerce
As well as the growth in Dutch e-commerce, Currence is also seeing increased use of iDEAL in other areas. The number of iDEAL payments is rising outside traditional e-commerce in particular, in charity donations and the payment of invoices and fines, for example. There is also growing interest in iDEAL abroad, as a result of which Dutch customers can increasingly pay using iDEAL in foreign webshops. In the light of these trends, Currence also expects to see an increase in the use of iDEAL in 2014.
iDEAL is an Online Banking e-Payment method. It allows consumers to make real-time, guaranteed payments to merchants in a user-friendly, cost-efficient, and secure fashion by generating a SEPA credit transfer from within their trusted online banking portal.
