HELPFUL launches payment method omitting 80% less CO2

By Joy Dumasia

HELPFUL has launched digital branded wallets to help businesses make their checkouts greener faster and attract new customers. The branded wallets combined the speed of open banking and lower transaction costs, supporting business growth and margins. A seamless digital customer journey with 98.3% of payments completed. 

HELPFUL wallets also save an estimated 80% of the CO2 produced by current payment solutions, supporting businesses’ net-zero goals and appealing to growing numbers of environmentally conscious consumers. On average, every checkout payment produces 3.78grams of CO2; multiply this by the thousands of transactions consumers make each year, and the CO2 produced is considerable. 

The first HELPFUL wallets are live in Glasgow, launched for the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) pilot, in partnership with Mastercard and the Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF). Further wallets are being rolled out to partners within the food and drink, fashion, urban mobility, EV charging and mobile comms industries to empower sustainable growth. 

HELPFUL has partnered with Railsbank and integrated with Plaid, a network enabling digital finance across the US and Europe, to develop their open banking platform and offer branded wallets for businesses and retailers. HELPFUL will leverage Plaid’s open banking payment solutions for fast, simple payments. The branded wallets work alongside existing payment options at checkout, and brands can take advantage of simple integration, zero set-up costs and low transaction fees. 

Evan Michaels, CEO of HELPFUL, said: “A net-zero future requires solutions that help businesses reduce the carbon footprint of as many aspects of their operations as possible. We are excited to work with innovative brands, businesses and governments to make greener payments part of their net-zero journey.” 

Louisa Murray, COO, UK and Europe at Railsbank, said: “The world is changing fast, and customers are demanding more, not only from the products they buy but also from the way they interact with the brands they love. As well as expecting seamless experiences, customers are increasingly inclined to shop with brands that share their values. We are excited to team up with HELPFUL to deliver embedded finance experiences and create a healthier planet.”