US Bank has launched a new Instant Line Access App for the iPad that makes applying for a US Bank credit card easier, safer and more convenient for customers.
The app is being piloted with Sport Chalet, a leading full-service specialty sporting goods retailer that partners with U.S. Bank to offer the Sport Chalet Visa Credit Card. U.S. Bank provides the iPad and the application, which is not available for download directly. Sport Chalet customers can apply for and, if approved, receive on-the-spot credit to begin making purchases and earning rewards.
U.S. Bank, a leader in payments technology, also launched an instant application program for iPhone last year. U.S. Bank plans to launch both the iPhone and iPad programs with other co-branded partners, as well as a U.S. Bank branded version of the iPad credit application program in select U.S. Bank branches during the second quarter of 2012.
"This new approach to in-store credit applications leverages the latest in mobile technology and security to provide for an improved customer experience allowing partners, such as Sport Chalet, to connect more directly with their customers," said Dominic Venturo, chief innovation officer for U.S. Bank Payment Services. "In addition to eliminating paper applications, giving them a way to offer their customers an instant line of credit while they are shopping are examples of how U.S. Bank is working to bring the best possible banking experience to its partners and customers."
Upon visiting the store, customers can work directly with a Sport Chalet store expert to apply for a Sport Chalet Visa Credit Card. The expert accesses the app via the iPad, which connects with U.S. Bank's privately hosted server. The expert hands the iPad to the customer to privately complete and submit the application. If a customer is instantly approved and accepts the offer, the new cardholder receives a temporary shopping pass for immediate use in the store. Customers can use the temporary shopping pass until the permanent, personalized credit card arrives in the mail.
"Sport Chalet is dedicated to enhancing our customers' shopping experience," states Howard Kaminsky, chief financial officer for Sport Chalet. "The opportunity to offer instant credit with the in-store iPad technology, developed by our partner U.S. Bank, supports our core values of providing our customers with an easy and better shopping experience."
U.S. Bank is a leader in payment and mobile innovation. In addition to being among the first to offer instant credit card applications on mobile devices, U.S. Bank issued the first payment solution that combines EMV chip, Visa payWave and magnetic stripe technologies to enhance acceptance and compatibility with credit cards systems worldwide. The company is also leading exploration of how the camera on mobile devices can be used to make banking simpler, such as for depositing checks remotely. U.S. Bank was also a bank leader in the area of contactless payment with a card or mobile device.