Record 3.4 billion euros paid using Tikkie in the Netherlands in 2020

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With more than 6 million users, Tikkie is a household name in the Netherlands. This past year, the country again used the cost-sharing app in massive numbers: a total of 3.4 billion euros was paid using Tikkie in 2020. At 800 million euros more than in 2019, this brings the total since the app was first launched to around 7.8 billion euros. At the busiest time this year, Tikkie was being used 193 times per minute, which is 43 times more than the 2019 peak; 66% of Tikkie requests were paid within an hour during 2020, and 38% in fact within 5 minutes. Tikkie was also used to share costs relating to the coronavirus, as illustrated by descriptions such as ‘face masks’.

Clear signs of the social change wrought by the coronavirus

Tikkie is used chiefly for social activities. However, in 2020 the coronavirus forcedpeople to find other ways to spend their time. This is reflected in the descriptions accompanying the payment requests. “As soon as pavement cafes were allowed to open again, the number of related payment requests surged,” explains Tikkie’s Head of Marketing Moreno Kensmil. “This was later followed by a huge shift when new rules were imposed. People have become very resourceful in response to all the restrictions. Instead of going out for dinner or drinks, for example, it’s become more common to share a takeout at home, and we noticed that the number of requests for groceries increased too. Lastly, we saw three remarkable new entries in the descriptions for payment requests: puzzles, plants and face masks.”

Creative businesses discover the convenience of Tikkie

Businesses have also been creative in their efforts to survive the pandemic, and many ofthem discovered the convenience of Tikkie. “It didn’t take long for restaurants to set up delivery or takeout services. Tikkie is an easy way to get your guests to chip in,” Kensmil continues. Other businesses also found their way to Tikkie. For example, churches and food banks have been using Tikkie QR codes to raise money through contactless and remote payments. Retailers that do not have their own webshops have been taking orders over Facebook and Instagram, combined with Tikkie. Kensmil adds, “With everything that’s going on just now, we’re proud that we’ve been able to offer businesses a simple and secure payment solution. This year, contactless payment has also become common in restaurants and bars, and it’s probably here to stay. Once all the restrictions are lifted, Tikkie Check will offer an ideal solution for paying without having to bother the waiting staff.”

New initiatives

Tikkie itself continued to develop during 2020. Besides Tikkie Check, this year Tikkie Terugwas also launched. “We noticed that people often regard cashback deals as complicated and unreliable, and they don’t need to be. Last summer, to celebrate our fourth anniversary, we partnered with retailer Hema to treat our users to a cream pastry, using Tikkie Terug,” explains Kensmil. “Besides Tikkie Terug, we’re also working with third parties to set up deals to make the app experience more fun for our users: prizes or discounts on selected products. Despite the challenges that 2020 has brought, we’ve managed to add plenty of new features and lay a solid foundation for 2021. We’re looking forward to sharing even more with each other next year.”