InComm and Pollard Banknote announced a partnership on January 22, 2020 to bring instant lottery tickets into retail checkout lanes through ScanACTIV. The solution combines Pollard Banknote’s game platform with InComm’s point-of-sale activation technology.

Retailers can display the tickets near a checkout and scan them when a customer makes a purchase. The completed sale activates the game, which can then be played in a format resembling a traditional instant ticket or through a digital reveal. A game card can also be used when claiming a prize.

Activation at the register

The companies said tickets carry no cash value until they are scanned at the point of sale. InComm presented this activation model as a way to reduce the fraud risks associated with holding active lottery products in a store.

The retail proposition covers staffed registers and self-checkout kiosks. InComm senior vice president Tim Richardson said the partnership would allow stores to introduce in-lane instant games without traditional lottery hardware. The announcement also identified employee training and special storage requirements as barriers the model was designed to reduce.

Pollard Banknote executive vice president Jennifer Westbury described wider retail access as a way for lotteries to reach new shopping environments. The partners linked checkout availability with convenience for players and potential incremental lottery revenue.

Extending prepaid retail infrastructure

InComm’s role builds on the retail activation technology used across its prepaid and payment business, whose product range also included gift card malls. Pollard Banknote supplied the proprietary ScanACTIV platform and experience in instant lottery products.