A tool that scans credit or debit cards in order to pre-populate mobile payment forms has been launched by the man behind the BrandAlley designer fashion website.

Sven Lung created the SCANPAY.IT SDK for Android and iOS apps to reduce the number of details the customer needs to enter manually when paying for a purchase on their mobile. The engine automatically recognises the numbers on the card when the users holds it in front of the phone’s camera but does not store the image.

Lung believes this could double the conversion rate on mCommerce apps and may also reduce fraud as the card is needed in order to make the mobile payment.

Launched in France, SCANPAY.IT has a partnership with European firm PAYBOX Services, owned by VeriFone Group, with access to 30,000 merchants, along with developers like Pure Agency, Backelite and Air Web. The company is looking for more traders to take part in beta testing.

SCANPAY.IT received funding from business angels and the French university funder ESSEC Ventures.