Tag: qr codes

MasterCard eyes QR codes for secure mobile commerce

| November 10, 2012

 

MasterCard teams with ING Bank to focus on QR codes

MasterCard has beguMobile Commerce qr codesn testing new ways to allow consumers to make online transactions securely. The financial institution envisions a platform that will protect consumers from the risks they face in the online world while also providing them convenient service. The company’s PayPass platform has become somewhat popular in mobile commerce, but MasterCard is looking to expand the capabilities of this platform and has set its sights on QR Codes. MasterCard has teamed with ING Group, a Dutch bank, to launch a trial project for its new initiative in the Netherlands.

QR codes becoming much more than marketing tool

QR codes are widely used in mobile marketing, but have seen some use in the realm of mobile commerce. The codes first rose to popularity in Japan in the 1990’s, where advertisers would use them to provide engaging content to consumers. The codes have filled this role all over the world since then, but have begun expanding beyond their advertising roots. QR codes have begun seeing use as parts of virtual stores, wherein consumers can scan the codes to purchase particular items from a mobile website that is associated with a retail store.

Netherlands trial will put QR codes to use in mobile commerce

MasterCard believes that QR codes would be a secure platform for mobile transactions. The company, along with ING Group, are keen to see how the codes can function in mobile shopping in the Netherlands. The PayPass platform is MasterCard’s flagship mobile commerce platform and will participate in the trial. Consumers with be able to use the PayPass to make purchases of goods through a number of participating retail stores. Consumers will also get a chance to use QR codes, which can be scanned to facilitate a mobile transaction through a secure website.

Viability of barcodes to be put to the test through 2013

The trial will run through the first quarter of 2013. MasterCard and ING Group will collect data concerning the trial to determine the viability of QR codes in mobile commerce. If consumers find the codes to be efficient, they may soon become much more than a simple marketing tool. This will be especially true if MasterCard can see that the codes are able to facilitate a more secure form of mobile commerce.

Qriket aims to pay consumers to scan QR codes

| November 9, 2012

 

qr codes for moneyQriket believes money is a good incentive for scans

QR codes are showing up everywhere. After years or hype, these barcodes have come to dominate mobile marketing and have enabled businesses to stay engaged with consumers. While the codes continue to grow in popularity, they are still in danger of being replaced by new, more dynamic technologies, like NFC and augmented reality. One way to ensure that QR codes remain on top, in terms of mobile marketing, is to provide consumers with an incentive to scan them. Qriket believes that money is the best incentive in this endeavor.

App turns scanning QR codes into money-making game

Qriket is a relatively new startup that has an intense focus on QR codes and offering rewards to consumers. The company, which produced a mobile application by the same name, has a lot of faith in QR codes, believing them to be powerful marketing tools. The application incarnation of Qriket is billed as a mobile game that is able to close the gap between the physical and digital worlds and will provide users with a chance to win real money each time they use the application to scan a QR code.

QR code traction could be boosted with powerful inventive

The money doesn’t come from Qriket itself. Rather, these funds come from companies that are interested in using QR codes as a marketing device. Consumers have a chance to win a percentage of the funds that these companies pay to have their codes available through the application. The concept is simple, and that simplicity has translated into steadily growing popularity. Qriket has found a way to ensure that consumers scan the QR codes they encounter in the real world, thereby also ensuring their participation in the marketing campaigns coming from companies using these codes.

Consumers still concerned over the safety and viability of QR codes

Though QR codes ate popular amongst advertisers, this is not always the case with consumers. Some have complained that the codes are simply not engaging enough, while others have their own concerns regarding mobile security. Qriket may be able to placate these concerns and help QR codes gain the traction they need amongst mobile consumers.