Bank trials Bluetooth adverts at branches

High street bank, HSBC, is trialling a technology that allows adverts to be sent to mobile phones as people pass its branches.

The banking giant is trialling the Bluetooth technology which is reminiscent of the type seen in Tom Cruise’s movie, ‘Minority Report’. The banks employ a concealed box that scans for mobiles with Bluetooth enabled.

Believed to be the first of its kind, the trial at HSBC’s Regent Street and Canary Wharf branches started in January and is due to complete by the end of April. Last week, people passing the bank’s Regent Street branch were sent video files promoting HSBC’s cash ISA.

Once a message is received by a passer by, the message asks for a confirmation. If a ‘Yes’ is returned, the advert is sent out.

According to HSBC, the system keeps a record of who it has sent messages to, so it can avoid repeatedly spamming those who pass the same branch every day.