In the latest random news, the Girl Scouts are going tech-savvy. The Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio will now be swooning you out of your money with Intuit’s GoPayment app for iPhone and Android.
Credit cards and cookies seem to be the winning recipe for the Girl Scouts. The next time a scout knocks on your front door, hide your credit card. There’s no telling how much one would be willing to pay for some Thin Mints when the credit card is an option for payment.
Mobile payment technology (see NFC rumors for more info) will probably be implemented into the next version of the iPhone by Apple. The evidence for mobile payment’s success is evident when organizations like the Girl Scouts adopt the technology.
Business Wire reports,
“To celebrate the Girl Scouts upcoming 99th anniversary in March, Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) has equipped the Girl Scouts of North East Ohio with its GoPayment mobile payment app, including a free Intuit credit card reader, and reduced pricing on transaction fees. GoPayment provides them with an easy and affordable way to process credit card payments on their mobile devices while protecting sensitive credit card information with industry-leading data encryption.
“We’re glad to put the latest mobile technology in the hands of America’s future business leaders to help them increase cookie sales,” said Chris Hylen, vice president and general manager of Intuit’s Payment Solutions division. “For this generation of girls in particular, running a business and being able to take payments anywhere with mobile apps like GoPayment will become second nature. We’re eager to see how sales will increase now that they take credit cards with GoPayment.”
Apparently, the scouts were seeing a dip in cookie sales. Luckily, Girl Scout troops everywhere can suit up with iPhones and rob customers blind due to the insatiable appeal of Samoas cookies.
“We’ve lost out on sales in the past because many potential cookie customers did not carry cash,” said Marianne Love, director of business services for GSNEO. “But that’s all about to change with GoPayment. For the first time ever, we’ll be able to say yes to credit cards and process payments quickly right on our phones. And now that people can pay by credit card, it will make it easier to buy a bundle of cookies to donate to U.S. Troops overseas through our Gift of Caring service project called Operation: Sweet Appreciation.”
For a limited time, Intuit is extending this same offer to all Girl Scout councils across the country so they can maximize their cookie sales. Councils and troop leaders can get more information by calling Intuit’s GoPayment Girl Scout hotline at: 800-871-3334.”
Next time you see a troop of Girl Scouts standing on your porch, be prepared to pay. I’ve heard those little ones drive a hard bargain.
[via TUAW]