PayPal is looking to monetize its Venmo division
PayPal is attempting to successfully monetize Venmo after having acquired the mobile payments firm in 2013, hoping to take advantage of the growing popularity of mobile commerce. Venmo has gained popularity among consumers as it allows them to send and receive payments amongst one another. The service blends the mobile commerce world with social elements, which has given it a competitive edge over other services that have sought to establish a foothold among mobile consumers.
Venmo processed $7.5 billion in mobile payments in 2015
In 2015, Venmo processed some $7.5 billion in mobile transactions, a 213% increase over what it had processed in 2014. This is only a fraction of the $282 billion in payments that PayPal processed last year, but Venmo is seeing aggressive growth. PayPal wants to monetize the service by allowing them to spend money through Venmo rather than only being allowed to transfer money to one another. Over the coming months, this aspect of the service is expected to mature and become well liked among consumers interested in mobile commerce.
PayPal is looking to expand into European markets to support mobile transactions
Apart from Venmo, PayPal is looking to expand on various fronts in the mobile payments field. At this year’s Mobile World Congress, PayPal announced a new partnership with European telecommunications company Vodafone. Through this partnership, millions of PayPal’s European customers were able to use their Android devices to make purchases using the Vodafone Wallet service. This service is expected to break into several European markets in the coming months.
PayPal is establishing a stronger foothold within China
PayPal has also extended its partnership with Alibaba, the largest e-commerce group in China. Together, the two companies have launched a new pilot program, through which retailers can accept PayPal payments. This program is tailored for merchants that want to sell products through Alibaba Wholesale, providing them with a way to effectively connect with mobile shoppers. This may be good news for PayPal, as China is one of the world’s fastest growing mobile commerce markets.
Several large banks are working to serve mobile consumers better
Major banks in the United States are beginning to take the fight to the mobile payments space after resting on their laurels for several years. Banks had been wary of introducing innovative services and platforms in the past due to the financial crisis of 2008. Now, however, banks are finding that the mobile commerce space has the potential to be quite disruptive. While the mobile commerce space is intrinsically connected to these banks, they want to ensure they can compete on a level that the mobile commerce space has been able to corner, and that involves engaging consumers more effectively.
Banks are beginning to make use of the clearXchange system
For years, mobile commerce companies have made it possible for consumers to send and receive money almost instantaneously. Peer-to-peer payment services have become very popular among young consumers, many of whom rely very heavily on their smartphones. Banks see this as an opportunity, and many have begun to use the clearXchange system, which allows for instant money transfers to friends and families. Customers with U.S. Bancorp and Bank of America can now send money instantly thanks to the new system. JPMorgan and Capital One Financial plan to begin using the system later this year.
PayPal highlights the success companies can find in the mobile commerce space
The reason the mobile commerce space has become more important to banks is because consumers are becoming more mobile-centric. In the early days of mobile commerce, PayPal managed to find significant success and growth by engaging mobile consumers. In 2013, PayPal acquired mobile payments firm Braintree, which had control of the Venmo mobile application. Last year, Venmo processed more than $7.5 billion in money transfers between consumers. In January of this year, some $1 billion in money transfers had been handled by Venmo.
Banks want to find the same success that PayPal has seen over the past few years
The success PayPal saw through its early acquisitions is something that banks want to mimic, especially as more consumers become involved in the mobile commerce space. These banks will have an uphill battle, however, as many consumers have already become comfortable with the mobile payments services they are currently using.
