Monday, April 28, 2014

Few Consumers Are Buying Premise of Mobile Wallets - NYTimes.com

Interesting story on the lack of use by consumers of phone or tablet apps for purchasing.

I have been using my Starbucks app for a couple of years and love it. I have downloaded Square however the issue I ran into is there are not many businesses that are accepting payment using Square - and that is a big issue.

From the story:
Merchants who want to accept mobile payments are unlikely to support all the possible types.
I believe that is one of the main problems. A credit card is the same from Visa, Master Card, or American Express, all the various phones are different. I use a Kroger loyalty card on my Android phone and as long as they scan the phone with a handheld scanner everything works. My CVS card works much the same way. If I attempt to use the phone when using the self-check-out at Kroger the phone will not be read. Bummer.

The article mentions Google Wallet. I have been a Google user for many years of any of their payment programs and have spent as much as $1,5900 at one time. I have had a Merchant account via Google and everything worked well. I received a Google Wallet card in the mail - I am in! I went to use it, not so good. Although my account at Google is backed up with a credit card and all previous purchases made at Google (or since) have not had a problem,; to use the Google Wallet card I had to basically pre-pay Google Wallet to use it.  I guess I missed the fine print somewhere in my excitement at receiving the card.

I have just downloaded the PayPal app for Android at Google Play - it is also available for iPhone at the App Store.

I for one would be real happy to use my phone for credit card purchases, however, as the article relates, one has to get the merchants to be involved. I do find it interesting when you go to a craft show a good number of the sellers at the show will use an app on their Android or iPhone to allow you to pay by credit card. I wonder how that will work when my credit card (or method of payment) is on my phone? NFC? Hmm....

Few Consumers Are Buying Premise of Mobile Wallets - NYTimes.com:



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