Mobile payment provider iZettle has continued its European expansion by launching in the Netherlands. The company’s service became available in the UK two years ago and is also offered in Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Mexico, Norway, Spain and Sweden.
Businesses in the Netherlands can now use their iPhone, iPad or Android device with a small card reader to take chip-and-PIN payments. According to iZettle’s research, 34% of the country’s small businesses (including pubs, bars and restaurants and retail businesses) were previously unable to take credit or debit card payments.
The first 5,000 new customers that sign up to iZettle’s mobile payments service will receive a free card reader.
Jacob de Geer, iZettle’s CEO and co-founder, said “The Netherlands is known for being incredibly progressive and as a result is becoming an increasingly cashless society. We want to help small businesses embrace this change and prevent them from losing sales on a daily basis. We give entrepreneurs and small businesses a little black box that fits perfectly in their pocket and allows them to connect with a smartphone and accept secure cash and card payments in minutes. It’s definitely the easiest way to capture sales that would have otherwise been lost.”
iZettle processed over €648 million (£517 million) in transactions last year. It charges merchants a small percentage of each transaction, which means it’s able to offer a service with no subscription, set up fee, monthly fee or minimum charge.