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Vodafone teams with Visa to expand mobile commerce

| November 23, 2012

 

Vodafone to launch new mobile commerce application in 2013

Vodafone Australia, oneMobile Commerce Visa and Vodafone Partnership of the country’s leading mobile network operators, has teamed with Visa to launch the Vodafone SmartPass, which will be available to consumers next year. Vodafone has taken note of the growing interest Australian consumers are showing in mobile commerce and is taking steps to provide consumers with new service that align with the demands of customers. Visa is also keen to meet the rising demand for mobile commerce and has been working to develop a platform that consumers can use to make payments with their smart phones.

Application allows for mobile purchases

The Vodafone SmartPass is a mobile application developed for the Android platform. The application allows users to make purchases using the financial information associated with a prepaid account. Though the Vodafone SmartPass can access the information associated with this account, the application does not create the account itself. Consumers will need to attain an NFC-enabled SIM card from Vodafone in order for the application to work properly.

NFC SIM card adds extra layer of security

The NFC SIM card contains a blank account that can be filled with cash from consumers. This is meant to add an extra layer of security to the platform, addressing some of the concerns consumers have had recently regarding the overall safety of mobile commerce. The prepaid account is not capable of drawing money from an existing bank account. As such, consumers will need to manually refill their accounts if they make regular purchases, or they can set up a specific date when their account will be filled automatically, per approval.

Scarcity of NFC-devices may slow growth of mobile commerce

Minor purchases can be made with a simple wave of a smart phone, while larger purchases will require additional authorization. Vodafone and Visa expect that mobile commerce will continue to generate hype and become a more popular practice amongst consumers. NFC-enabled mobile devices are still rare, however, so the growth of mobile commerce may be slowed until these devices become more available to consumers around the world.

BI Intelligence report shows retailers getting aggressive with mobile consumers

| November 22, 2012

 

mobile consumers reportBI Intelligence releases new report concerning retail industry and mobile consumers

As consumers become more reliant on their mobile devices, retailers are looking for new ways to engage these people. Mobile commerce is quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to engage mobile consumers, largely because of the interest these consumers have for making purchases through their mobile device. A recent report from BI Intelligence, a research group associated with Business Insider, examines the ways retailers are working to engage mobile consumers through commerce and other initiatives.

Retailers looking for new ways to engage consumers

The advent of mobile technology has lead to a shift in the way consumers shop and pay for products. For instance, a practice known as “showrooming” allows consumers to use their smart phones to find products they are interested in while avoiding mark-ups from retailers. Typically, consumers can find better deals throughout online e-commerce platforms than from traditional retail stores, which presents a particularly problem for retailers still working to attract consumers to physical stores.

Mobile commerce growing in US and Europe

According to the BI Intelligence report, 29% of all U.S. mobile consumers already use their mobile device to participate in mobile commerce. This trend is expected to continue and spread to Europe through 2015, creating a promising opportunity for retailers to engage a wide audience. The report also notes that location targeting and mobile marketing efforts are becoming ideal ways for retailers to engage consumers in a way they are becoming increasingly responsive to.

Gamification quickly becoming a powerful tool for retailers

Gamification is a relatively new trend that is emerging in the retail industry, according to the BI Intelligence report. This is the practice of introducing game elements into shopping, marketing, and other fields of retail. Through gamification, retailers can make mundane tasks seem more exciting by providing consumers with rewards for completing these tasks. BI Intelligence suggests that gamification may be an effective way to ensure the loyalty of mobile consumers.