Tag: us mobile payments

The largest food service retailer in the world is now accepting these smartphone transactions in about 14,000 locations.

Customers who eat at McDonald’s in the United States will now be able to use their smartphones to pay for their orders now that the quick service restaurant has teamed up with the Softcard and its mobile wallet.

This type of mobile payments transaction will be available to customers both in the restaurant and the drive-thru.

To use their mobile wallet service, they will be able to use NFC technology enabled smartphones with the Softcard app. They merely need to tap the device against the near field communication reader at any of the U.S. locations of the restaurant. This makes it the largest deployment of mobile payments via NFC that has ever occurred in a drive-thru setting.

According to McDonald’s representatives, the company is very pleased to offer this new mobile wallet service.

The McDonald’s USA vice president of media and consumer connection, Anja Carroll, said that “We are pleased to announce this national launch after a successful pilot program that began in 2013. Our work with Softcard further reinforces McDonald’s commitment to customer service and convenience.”

Carroll went on to say that by working with leading brands within the mobile payments and m-commerce sphere, “we’re able to deliver a more meaningful experience to our customers that includes greater speed, ease and value.”

The mobile wallet app from Softcard is available for free and brings payments, loyalty, and discount offers together in one digital location. The app is compatible with over 80 different mobile devices across Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile. The service works with the contactless EMV global standard as well as with the m-commerce technology from SmartTap.

Softcard chief executive officer, Michael Abbott, called the quick service restaurant “one of the world’s most iconic and innovative brands.” He added that the reach and scale of McDonald’s will help to broaden the awareness and use of mobile payments and will bring this type of transaction one step closer to being mainstream. It will also help to demonstrate the specific value offered by the Softcard smartphone based wallet app, said Abbott.

Many consumers have high expectations that have yet to be met

Engaging consumers in the mobile space is proving to be quite difficult, especially where commerce is concerns. Reputation Leaders, an independent research firm, conducted a study between April 29 and May 20 of this year. Some 15,000 people between the ages of 18 and 64 from 15 of the world’s largest markets were surveyed and the firm found that there are significant variances in mobile payment activity throughout the world. The study suggests that consumers in these markets are expecting more from the mobile commerce space, but they are being let down.

Study shows that China leads the way in mobile commerce activity, followed by Russia

According to the study, China leads the way in terms of mobile commerce activity. Some 90% of respondents in China said that they use their mobile devices to purchase products and services regularly. Russia comes in second, with Brazil and Turkey following. Despite the high number of people participating in mobile commerce, the payments process remains somewhat cumbersome. In China, 35% of consumers want mobile payments to be easier than they are currently. If payments were easier, more consumers would likely participate in mobile commerce.

US consumers want to see more businesses embrace mobile commerce

In the U.S., 54% of respondents to the survey believed that small businesses could benefit from mobile and digital commerce. If mobile payments were easier, more businesses throughout the country may benefit, as cash flow would become smoother and somewhat more reliable. Mobile consumers are a large demographic that is growing quickly. These consumers account for a great deal of commerce potential, but relatively few businesses are engaging these consumers in an effective manner.

Technology could help make commerce more convenient for consumers in general

A similar study from PayPal found that 70% of consumers throughout the world felt that technology could make commerce much simpler than it is currently. Mobile technology, such as QR codes and NFC, could streamline commerce, creating easier ways for consumers to pay for goods and services and take advantage of the convenience of mobile commerce.