This currently applies at certain destinations in the Caribbean and Mexican Riviera and will expand to Alaska in the season but could become available anywhere around the world, Princess President John Padgett said.
It means passengers can leave their wallets and smartphones in their stateroom safes and use their Medallion to shop with added security in stores displaying the MedallionPay seal.
7% back as onboard credit
Shoppers will also get 7% back on shoreside purchases as a shipboard credit for the inaugural year. Bigger rewards are possible when passengers associate their MedallionPay account with a cash-back credit card.
'Say you get 3% cash back with VISA, your effective cash back for your purchase is 10%. That's nowhere [else] on the planet,' Padgett said.
A passenger wears the Princess Medallion in Cozumel
MedallionPay currently is available in St. Thomas, Cabo San Lucas, Cozumel and Puerta Vallarta, with more destinations and merchants being added in the near future, including at all Alaska ports Princess visits. Any off-ship merchant can elect to join.
Diamonds International, restaurants, bars, excursion operators ...
Among prominent merchants now accepting MedallionPay are Diamonds International and Cariloha, as well as more than 65 other retailers, from restaurants, bars, souvenir stores and jewelers to museums and excursion operators.
MedallionPay is available to any size retailer with no setup or monthly fees to register as a merchant and no required long-term contracts. The software is free to use. Merchants pay a transaction fee that includes all credit card processing fees.
Princess piloted MedallionPay in St. Thomas shortly before the pandemic shutdown.
'Being able to shop using my Medallion made purchasing easier and having a discount associated with it is fantastic,' said Lori Woodbury, a Crown Princess passenger who trialed MedallionPay there in early 2020. 'You don’t have to remember your room key, and you never have to have cash or a credit card with you.'
Security features
No credit card or personal information is stored on the Medallion. According to Princess, the MedallionPay ecosystem exceeds the security levels used in financial institutions and passports by implementing the latest methods of tokenization, abstraction and encryption.
'Whether it's an amount that's $5 or $25,000, the guests are extremely comfortable' using the Medallion, Padgett said.
Merchants securely confirm the transaction with two-factor authentication that exceeds typical credit card transaction.
Princess has offered MedallionPay contactless payment for all onboard purchases on MedallionClass ships since late 2017.
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