Luxembourg startup Digicash Payments has launched a pilot of Beacon mobile payments at the point of sale, enabling consumers to pay merchants via Single Euro Payments Area credit transfers, the company announced. The Digicash Beacons used in the pilot combine Bluetooth, NFC and QR code technologies.

Three Luxembourg retail banks, BCEE, POST and BIL, are participating in the trial. The new Beacon payments feature is integrated with the Digicash app issued by these banks. Because payments are made using SEPA Credit Transfers from the payer's checking account to the merchant's bank account, there is no need for a mobile wallet or linked credit card, the company said.

Digicash Beacons at the POS transmit payment-related data automatically to smartphones that are held close to them. The launch of Digicash Beacon follows Digicash's launch of QR code-based mobile payments a year ago in Luxembourg.

The new Beacon-based payment method is being field tested with a number of retailers in Luxembourg and, according to Digicash, payment transactions using SEPA Credit Transfers from payers' checking accounts have been carried out successfully.

A large-scale rollout is planned for the second half of 2014, Digicash said.