More than 400,000 viewers of France’s largest television shopping network will soon be able to buy products featured on the TV channel by holding up their smartphone to the screen to scan audio tags that will then redirect them to the item’s online page where they can make a purchase using their stored payment information.

The Teleshopping network — part of French media holding company TF1 Group — is using Powa Technologies’ mobile payments platform PowaTag to deliver the service that will also see visual codes printed in magazines, newsletters and the company’s stores. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons will be installed in stores to help “ease the interaction with consumers and offer them personalised promotions”.

“In the third quarter of the year, the broadcast show will exclusively integrate audio tags that will be recognised by the PowaTag app,” Powa Technologies says. “The purchasing process will be easier than ever. Consumers will be able to buy in a few taps by pointing their smartphones to the TV, using registered personal information that the user will have to enter just once.

“In addition to audio tags, PowaTag will also recognise visual codes in the Teleshopping catalogues and newsletters, [and] also on the Teleshopping mobile-friendly website thanks to a ‘Touch to Buy’ feature next to every item. Finally, Teleshopping stores will be equipped with Bluetooth beacons that will ease the interaction with consumers and offer them personalised promotions.”

“This partnership with Powa Technologies is a step further in Teleshopping’s strategy to become more digitalised,” says Jerome Dillard, CEO of Teleshopping. “It’s our priority to adapt our offering to consumer behaviour by adopting an omnichannel strategy.”

“This is a great opportunity for us to continue to grow in France and participate in the m-commerce revolution that is taking place around the world,” adds Powa Technologies CEO Dan Wagner. “Teleshopping can deeply benefit from an innovative way to purchase that clearly eliminates the barriers slowing down the shopping process and offers an original experience for the consumer.”

French fashion retailer Comptoir des Cotonniers become one of the first to use PowaTag in June 2014 to turn posters, billboards, magazines, cafe table tops, postcards, flyers and clothing into ‘virtual boutiques’. UK supermarket chain Tesco also tested the service in October last year and Danske Bank built support for the service into its MobilePay app earlier this year.