Early bird gets the QR code... Electric scooter company Bird is trying its wing at payments with a new service called Bird Pay. How Bird envisions it: you open the app to unlock a scooter, whizz down the street to a sandwich shop, then pay for your hoagie via a QR code in the app. The angle for customers:
- Novelty: Pretty much none. Apple, Google, Venmo, Samsung and even Uber offer mobile payment products (with wider offerings).
- Convenience: Some (maybe). Saves you a couple seconds if you already have the Bird app open — plus, it's only being offered at certain stores.
Getting locals on the Bird wave... Bird — last valued at $2.5B — is live in 100 cities. Now it's looking to partner with local businesses in scooter-heavy areas through its new payment feature. The B2B sales pitch:
- According to Bird, 58% of all Bird rides start or end at a local business, so...
- Businesses can increase sales by getting promoted in the Bird app (riders scooting nearby see a $3 hazelnut cold brew around the corner)
- In sum: "Birds outside bring business inside," according to CEO Travis VanderZanden (not a Marvel villain)
Bird has a community problem... And Bird Pay is an elaborate attempt to fix that. Bird is extending an olive branch to business owners, who've been frustrated with metal scooters littering storefronts. It's offering to put businesses "on the map" and connect them with "thousands of potential customers" nearby. If Bird is able to get local business on its side, it'll be better equipped to fend off resistance and regulation from local governments.