Introducing the New "PYMNTS.com OmniReadi Index Powered by Vantiv"

BOSTON & CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

PYMNTS.com, a premier source of news and commentary on innovation in payments and commerce, and Vantiv, Inc. VNTV, a leading provider of payment processing services and related technology solutions for merchants and financial institutions of all sizes, released today the first "PYMNTS.com OmniReadi Index powered by Vantiv." The new Index, which will be released quarterly, is designed to measure the consistency of merchant's omnichannel strategies – measured by real shopping experiences, to determine if the mobile channel is helping, hurting or simply neutral to the overall consumer experience.

"We wanted to know how omnichannel strategies are evolving over time for different stores and what benefits they are providing to businesses in different verticals," explained Karen Webster, chief executive officer of Market Platform Dynamics. "We found that merchants in the electronics and entertainment vertical have made the most progress, but every vertical really has some room to go to deliver a consistent and seamless experience to their customers."

According to the OmniReadi Index, the average score by each merchant measured on a scale of 1 (low) to 100 (high), was 64. The entertainment and electronics vertical scored among the highest at 70.

"The Index shows there is definitely a difference in experience as merchants look for ways to deliver consistent experiences for customers, wherever and however they want to shop," said Stephanie Polen, vice president of customer lifecycle products at Vantiv. "Businesses need to consider these important trends and incorporate them when developing their overall strategy to serve their customers. Our expertise, technology, and solutions across the entire payments spectrum – mobile, ecommerce and POS – and a wide range of verticals can help merchants define and deliver a holistic and consistent omnichannel experience to their customers."

The OmniReadi Index includes in-depth research done by analysts in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle who shopped businesses across three channels – web, mobile app and in-store. They captured data on 130 attributes of more than 100 retailers, which represents almost 50 percent of the total U.S. retail sales in eight merchant segments, including apparel, grocery, electronics and entertainment and sporting goods.

These merchants were then scored based on two key components: 1) The degree the online and in-store experience is consistent for consumers, and 2) If a merchant is adding value through mobile – through an app, a mobile website, or mobile-optimized website. The full research paper can be found at PYMNTS.com. The next OmniReadi Index will be released in early Fall 2015.

Vantiv provides omnichannel payment processing solutions and value-added services built on an integrated technology platform that helps merchants acquire, convert and retain profitable relationships. For more information about Vantiv, please visit vantiv.com or on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube.

About PYMNTS.com
PYMNTS.com is reinventing the way in which companies in payments share relevant information about the initiatives that shape the future of payments and commerce and make news. This powerful B2B platform is the #1 site for the payments and broader commerce ecosystem by traffic and the premier source of information about "what's next" in payments. C-suite and VP level executives turn to it daily for these insights, making the PYMNTS.com audience the most valuable in the industry. It provides an interactive platform for companies to demonstrate thought leadership, popularize products and, most importantly, capture the mindshare of global decision-makers. PYMNTS.com, where the best minds and best content meet on the web to learn "What's Next" in Payments and Commerce.

About Vantiv, Inc.
Vantiv, Inc. VNTV is a leading payment processor differentiated by an integrated technology platform. Vantiv offers a comprehensive suite of traditional and innovative payment processing and technology solutions to merchants and financial institutions of all sizes, enabling them to address their payment processing needs through a single provider. We build strong relationships with our customers, helping them become more efficient, more secure and more successful. Vantiv is the second largest merchant acquirer and the largest PIN debit acquirer based on number of transactions in the U.S. The company's growth strategy includes expanding further into high-growth channels and verticals, including integrated payments, ecommerce, and merchant bank.

© 2015 Vantiv, LLC. All Rights Reserved. All trademarks, service marks and trade names referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Vantiv and other Vantiv products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of Vantiv, LLC in the U.S. and other countries.

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