Ambitious UK payments firm Powa Technologies has announced that over 240 brands including Universal Music and Carrefour have signed up to a new service offering mobile payments, alongside a Bluetooth-based geolocation marketing service.

The aim behind the Powatag service is to make multiple types of purchase possible through a smartphone, including scanning a code on a billboard or advert as well as in a shop. The service also enables purchases to be made straight from TV and radio advertising or even PA announcements.

Powa is also following the trend for offering Bluetooth-based beacons to retailers which target consumers with messages when they are in-store.

It is unclear if Powa’s service uses the iBeacon protocol developed by Apple for this type of service, or the UK company has developed its own version of the technology.

“Our hybrid combination of technologies, which include Bluetooth beacons, instant payment authentication and mobility, enable retailers to have a richer engagement with their customers and understand their needs and cater for them in a more focused way. Consumers also benefit from having a vastly improved shopping experience,” said Dan Wagner, the CEO of Powa Technologies.

Customers add their credit cards to the Powatag service in order to make payments. This means they don’t have to add card details every time they make a transaction. The details are cloud-based rather than stored on the user’s phone.