Metric, one of Canada’s leading online retailers, announced on Monday that it would be discontinuing its online shopping services in 2019, in a move aimed at curbing a growing number of online retailers that are increasingly turning to mobile payment solutions.
The Metrocard, which launched in 2015, allows customers to store their credit cards and check them online, as well as manage their shopping preferences.
In 2016, Metrocords service cost $2.49 per transaction, compared with a cost of $3.39 for the same service from Canadian retailers like the Gap, Walmart and Target.
In March, the company said it was also phasing out online ordering and would no longer accept payment for purchases made at its Canadian stores.
Metrocord said it had been offering online shopping and checking for about five years.
“We know our customers want to get their products from us to the door,” said John Smith, Metric’s chief executive officer.
“And that’s the reason we’re announcing this transition.”
Metrocredits new policy follows similar ones by Walmart and other big-name retailers.
Metric said it would also be removing its Canadian online shopping service from the platform in 2019.
Walmart, however, has said it will continue to accept payments for online purchases made from its Canadian locations.
Metrics customer service is a “one-stop shop” for shopping and customer service issues for customers, said Metric CEO and co-founder Rob Fenton.
“I think it’s going to be very difficult for a large company to compete in a way that’s not as competitive as what we’ve seen with Amazon,” he said.
Walmart is the largest online retailer in Canada, and one of the country’s biggest in the United States.
Metacards CEO, John Smith said Metacredits service was the best it had offered since launching the service in 2015.
The company, which has about 1.2 million online customers, has about 50,000 in Canada.
The online service, which uses Metric-based systems, is available on a few dozen of Metric stores.
The rest of the stores offer Metric services, including a handful in Calgary, Saskatoon and Winnipeg.
Meticards new policy comes just two weeks after the company announced it would phase out its online ordering service, a move that it said had cost it $1 million per month in operating costs.
Metcords chief executive and cofounder Rob, with co-founders Jason and Sarah Smith, said the company had spent $2 million on online ordering to help meet the demand.
“It’s a little bit of a tough pill to swallow, but we feel that it’s important to keep the customer in our service and to make sure we have the right services available,” Fenton said.
Metecards customers can sign up for a free trial for Metric in Canada or use the company’s online shopping option.
Metrion’s new online shopping policy means that customers will have to pay a fee of $20 per month for their account, and Metric has agreed to reduce the cost of the service to $2 per transaction.
“At Metric we believe that a fair customer experience is a cornerstone of our success and that we want to deliver a level playing field for our customers,” Fieldon said in a statement.