eBay continues to make aggressive moves in the mobile commerce field
Retail giant already boasts of a formidable presence in the mobile sector, but that does not mean that the company has grown complacent. Through its PayPal subsidiary, eBay has been working to engage consumers throughout the world on the field of mobile commerce. With mobile devices becoming more common, people around the world are beginning to engage in new forms of commerce. Mobile commerce has become one of the most lucrative fields in the mobile space and has attracted the interest of retail and technology companies of all kinds.
Braintree expects to process $12 billion in payments this year
This week, eBay announced its acquisition of Braintree, a mobile commerce specialist, for $800 million. The company plans to combine Braintree with the mobile payments division of PayPal in order to bolster its growing mobile commerce infrastructure. Braintree estimates that it will process more than $12 billion in mobile payments this year and it lists Rovio, OpenTable, TaskRabbit, and Heroku among its clients.
Venmo application now available to eBay
Through the acquisition, eBay has gained access to Braintree’s Venmo application, which facilitates mobile payments from smartphones and tablets. The application is yet another platform through which eBay and PayPal can engage mobile consumers. PayPal is a strong advocate of mobile commerce platforms that are not wholly reliant on NFC technology. The company has some security concerns when it comes to NFC and is also critical of the exclusive nature of the technology. The low availability of NFC-enabled mobile devices makes it difficult for many consumers to participate in mobile commerce in any meaningful way.
Braintree expected to continue current operations alongside PayPal
Braintree is expected to continue many of its current operations. Per the acquisition, the company will exist as a separate entity within PayPal and will provide services that will fall under the Braintree name. The company is also engaged in a partnership with Facebook concerning streamlining mobile commerce through the Auto Fill with Facebook initiative.
PayPal application may triumph in the mobile commerce sector thanks to new update
PayPal has issued a major update for its mobile commerce application that may help it edge out the competition from other mobile wallets. The PayPal application has long existed as a way to allow consumers to manage their financial information from the mobile device. Previous versions of the application did allow for transactions, but PayPal has been taking steps to ensure that the application can provide consumers with more comprehensive mobile commerce services. The new update introduces several new features to the application that may make it one of the most robust platforms currently available.
App equipped with new, innovative features
The application features a new user interface that is designed to be more convenient for users. Those using the application to make a purchase can now take advantage of PayPal’s “Bill Me Later” financing option as well, providing more flexibility when it comes to mobile payments. PayPal has also taken steps to make the in-store mobile purchase process more efficient. Consumers will be able to use the application to pay for products in physical stores more easily than they could with previous versions of the app.
Features allow users to find local stores that support mobile commerce
PayPal has also introduced a new feature simply called “Shop” to the application. Shop allows users to find local restaurants and stores that accept mobile payments. The application also allows users to change the way they pay for products as they please. Users can opt to use their PayPal balance or make use of a credit card or bank account that has been linked to the application as well. The application also allows consumers to place and pay for orders from restaurants that support mobile commerce. This same feature allows consumers to pay for these orders when they receive their meals.
PayPal may establish strong lead with updated app
PayPal has already established a strong presence in the mobile commerce field, but the company has yet position itself as the clear leader in this sector. There are a multitude of mobile commerce services available to consumers today, and this abundance of options means that no single platform has managed to win the favor of the majority of people in any given market. PayPal has designed its updated application in order to tackle this issue.
