Smartrac Partners with Honk to Launch the “Future of Parking”

AMSTERDAM & TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#ApplePaySmartrac, a global leader in RFID technology and solutions, partners
with Honk Mobile, a technology company that is reshaping the future of
parking by enabling the fastest and most convenient customer experience
with the world’s first virtual parking meter, HonkTAP. Smartrac is
supplying Honk with its customized ‘Block On-Metal’ NFC tags, providing
best-in-class products and tapping functionality.

HonkTAP is a groundbreaking innovation in parking – Instead of paying
for parking using traditional parking machines which are known to
experience vandalism, periods of downtime and lineups, consumers can
simply tap their smartphone on any Honk signage, enabled by Smartrac’s
Block On-Metal NFC tags, and pay for parking in seconds with no app
download or user registration required. The signage can be as simple as
a sticker on a parking meter or as robust as integrated signage or a
standalone structure. HonkTAP provides a seamless 2-click payment
process by fully leveraging Apple Pay and the underlying NFC
functionality of smartphones. Android users get the same great
experience of HonkTAP via Google Pay, PayPal and all major credit cards.

Latest technology for the ultimate parking experience at the point of
payment

Smartrac’s high-quality NFC technology comes into play by triggering the
point of payment; consumers tap their smartphone on a HonkTAP parking
sign or structure that contains a secure and reliable NFC tag, which
works flawlessly on metallic and other surfaces thanks to its design and
form factor.

To meet all application and product requirements, Smartrac has
specifically developed its Block On-Metal NFC tags to meet Honk’s needs
for maximum read range and user convenience. Equipped with NXP’s SLIX2
ICs which feature optimized tuning for on-metal surfaces, Block On-Metal
NFC tags enable best-in-class tapping distances as defined by NFC
standards. To complete the ultimate Tap-to-Pay experience, Smartrac’s
longtime market partner WS Packaging converted the NFC tags into
customized printed stickers and labels. The finished products can be
attached to a variety of surfaces and virtually anywhere in the parking
area, providing a wide range of places to pay and hence maximum
convenience for consumers.

First major parking service fully leveraging Apple Pay

With the Tap-to-Pay application, enhanced consumer experience and
embedded NFC technology, HonkTAP is the first major parking service
fully leveraging Apple Pay’s payment service.

“HonkTAP is a game changer for the parking industry,” said Michael Back,
Honk Founder & CEO. “When building out the new product, a priority for
us was finding the best-in-class NFC technology partner that would meet
the needs of our operators and consumers. Smartrac has stepped up with a
superior product that we are thrilled to incorporate into all of our
signage. There’s no question its NFC tags’ read range and form factor
are top of the line and complement our technology in the launch of
HonkTAP.”

“We are very proud of our partnership with Honk, and at the same time
are well positioned to be the cross-industry leader when it comes to
practical usage of NFC technologies,” said Amir Mobayen, President
Transponder Division and Chief Revenue Officer at Smartrac. “As the
market demand for NFC-enabled products is growing exponentially, our
uniquely designed NFC products are readily available to effectively
support and help our customers to realize market innovations such as
Tap-to-Pay already today. Moreover, we will continue to be fully
dedicated to customer success and innovative strength with our product
design, quality and time to market.”

About Honk:

Honk is North America’s leading provider of both on-demand mobile
payments and advance reservations for parking. Honk has been creating
solutions to avoid and eliminate the traditional parking meter for
years. First, with their innovative app, then Honk KIO – a low-cost
payment kiosk aligned with the app, and now HonkTAP rounds out their
family of products to serve the needs of all drivers, parking operators
and real estate owners whenever and however they require.

Honk is already accepted at over 2,000 locations representing 250,000
parking spaces across Canada and the United States. With the touch of a
button, motorists can pay for parking anywhere Honk is accepted across
North America.

About Smartrac:

Smartrac is a global market leader in RFID products and IoT solutions,
providing both ready-made and customized offerings. We make products
smart, and enable businesses to digitize, identify, authenticate, track
and complement products and solutions. Our portfolio is used in a wide
array of applications such as animal identification, automation,
automotive, brand protection, customer experience, industry, library and
media management, logistics, retail, supply chain management and many
more. Leveraging our global Research & Development Centers, production
and sales network, and IoT solutions platform Smart Cosmos®,
we embed intelligence into physical products, empowering the ecosystem
of connected things. Smartrac received ARC Quality Certification from
Auburn University’s RFID Lab for the design and manufacturing of its
RFID inlays. Smartrac has its registered headquarters in Amsterdam, the
Netherlands. For more information, visit www.smartrac-group.com,
follow Smartrac on Twitter or sign up for a quarterly newsletter.

Contacts

Honk
Rachel Lemkow
Director, Marketing
rachel@honkmobile.com
Phone:
416-574-5832
or
Smartrac Technology Group
Karin Fabri
Head
of Corporate Communications & Marketing
Phone: +31 203 050 150
Email:
media.relations@smartrac-group.com

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