Archive for October, 2010
The market tests that are planned for Texas and Utah, and the test that is already underway in Sitges, Spain are on the front lines of the battle to define how mobile payments will work in the future.
Today, your Smartphone can be used to buy things at some stores and restaurants. In the near future, most (if not all) merchants will allow you to use your Smartphone to buy things without an intervening piece of plastic. Continue reading
Absurd? Maybe not. Visa, MasterCard and AMEX and their peers are acknowledging a serious threat in the future: the Smartphone. All of these companies make their money by taking a very small percentage of every transaction that uses their services. But what if you could complete a transaction without their services? What if you could walk into any store, restaurant, doctor’s office, or hot dog stand and buy something without using their services? What is the alternative, and who are the potential players that could make it happen? Continue reading
The most widespread misconception about potential of M-Commerce is that it will primarily be a way to shop online. But, online retail accounts for only about 4% of all retail transactions today, and will probably grow to about 8% by 2014. While the growth rate is impressive, the fact remains that brick and mortar retailers hold the key to M Commerce, Mobile Payments, the Mobile Wallet. Even if every bank and credit union in the world enables you to use your Smartphone as a payment device, these applications would be virtually useless if you could not walk into your favorite store and buy something. Acceptance at brick and mortar retailers is key. Continue reading
