Tag: ios

Mobile payments are coming to the health care sector

| April 20, 2015

InstaMed announces support for Apple’s mobile payments service

InstaMed, a health care payments network, has announced that it will be supporting mobile payments made through Apple Pay. Apple’s new payment platform has broken into the health care sector, where a growing number of people are beginning to use their mobile devices to manage their accounts online. Apple Pay was launched late last year, finding support among a large number of prominent retailers. In a relatively short amount of time, the service has become quite popular among consumers with iOS devices.

Consumers will now be able to use their mobile devices to pay for their medical bills

Those with an iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will now be able to use Apple Pay in concert with InstaMed. This will allow them to make contactless payments and manage their medical costs. InstaMed offers its services to a wide range of providers. Many health care organizations are beginning to see promise in the mobile payments field, not for financial gain, but as a way to make it easier for consumers to pay for the medical care that they receive. Mobile payments have been praised for their convenient nature and growing reliance on mobile devices is beginning to change the way people interact with businesses.

20% of consumers currently have unpaid medical bills

Mobile Payments - Health CareAccording to InstaMed, approximately 20% of consumers have unpaid medical bills. This is largely due to confusion regarding the payment process. InstaMed believes that this problem will continue to grow as more consumers enroll in high deductible health insurance plans. Resolving confusion concerning the payment process is becoming a priority in the health care field and mobile payments may be able to introduce some simplicity to the process that will alleviate this problem, to some extent.

Health care providers are becoming more mobile-friendly

The mobile payments industry is expected to reach $142 billion by 2019, and health care providers are beginning to position themselves to embrace the mobile space. Health care providers may benefit from the advent of mobile commerce, as it will make them more accommodating to consumers and give them access to a growing mobile consumer base.

Mobile commerce service seeks to help retailers engage consumers

| August 5, 2014

Kash aims to sidestep credit card fees and allow retailers to interact with consumers more directly

Starbucks has found a great deal of success in its mobile commerce endeavors, which has encouraged retailers to engage in the mobile space more aggressively. The company is considering offering its mobile payment technology to retailers, but this technology may not be available for some years. Kash is hoping to accelerate retailer’s entry into the mobile commerce space, offering them a way to accept payments from mobile devices and do away with credit cards and their fees.

Platform makes use of bank information rather than credit card information

Kash is a new platform available for iOS and Android devices. Users can make use of the application as soon as they download it and do not have to create an account before they are able to make a payment. Kash allows users to make use of their bank accounts rather than credit cards. They can use their bank’s login information instead of creating an account with the service. With payments being handled directly, retailers can have transactions processed in a single day rather than having to wait to receive payment for a week or more as it is processed by a third party.

Retailers express interest in Kash’s standalone scanner system

mobile commerce service to help retailersRetailers can sign up for Kash and receive assistance in setting up an online e-commerce portal. Kash does not currently offer equipment that can interface with modern point-of-sales systems, offering instead a standalone scanner that retailers can receive for free. Kash notes that retailers have expressed more interest in using their standalone system than waiting for features to be released that allow the Kash platform to interact with current point-of-sales systems.

Retailers could benefit from platforms like Kash

Retailers have been looking for ways to get into the mobile commerce field, but some have found this to be a difficult process. Engaging mobile consumers can be difficult because of their fickle nature and their unwillingness to tolerate platforms that are poorly designed. Retailers are relying on platforms like Kash to allow them to engage consumers in an effective manner.