Report shows that airlines are becoming more accepting of mobile commerce
Airlines are beginning to embrace mobile commerce, according to a new report from WorldPay, a payment processor focused on aviation. Consumers are becoming more focused on mobile technology and device ownership is growing at a rapid pace. As consumers become more reliant on smartphones and tablets, they are beginning to demand services that accommodate these devices. As such, airlines have been working to provide better services to mobile consumers, including providing them the ability to pay for tickets and other services with their devices.
57% of airlines believe in the potential of mobile payments
The report compiled data provided by 56 global airlines, finding that mobile payments are becoming a key focus for 57% of these organizations. The majority of these airlines believe that mobile payments show the greatest potential of driving up revenue over the next two years compared to other forms of payments. The report shows that mobile payment acceptance has grown by 25% among airlines since the beginning of 2013, up 10% over what it had been in 2012.
Airlines continue to focus on mobile technology
Airlines are not strangers to mobile technology. Many have been leveraging QR codes and other such tools to engage consumers in a more dynamic way. QR codes have also begun to adorn tickets and are often used to provide information concerning a consumer’s itinerary. Mobile payments are a relatively new field for airlines, however, and there are many challenges to consider before companies can find success in the mobile commerce sector.
Security remains a major issue
Mobile commerce has long been plagued by serious security issues. Because mobile devices are becoming popular traffickers of financial information, hackers have begun to show a great deal of interest in the mobile sector. Several mobile commerce platforms have been targeted by hackers seeking to exploit a consumer’s financial information, pressuring companies to take security much more seriously than they had in the past.
GoPago suggests that its acquisition by Amazon will open the door for ambitious new projects, but what these projects will be has yet to be announced. Amazon itself has yet to announce any new and ambitious mobile projects as the company has been somewhat heavily focused on the projects that are already underway. How GoPago will fit into the Amazon portfolio and what benefits it will bring have yet to be seen.