Author: JT

Mobile payments startups may be no match for PayPal

PayPal continues to dominate the mobile payments field

The mobile commerce sector is rife with competition. The growing popularity of mobile payments of consumers has encouraged numerous startups to emerge, each looking to beat one another in the hopes of gaining consumer support. The problem, however, is that there is already a well established commerce platform that has muscled its way into the mobile sector: PayPal. The company has been involved in mobile payments for years before mobile commerce began gaining significant attention around the world and its presence in the sector may be too much for smaller companies to handle.

Competition may be too much for startups to handle

Consulting firm Crone Consulting LLC suggests that the mobile commerce market has become over saturated. There are numerous startups working against one another to appeal to consumers. Many of these organizations are offering mobile payments processing systems that are fee-free. While this may be attractive for merchants that are reaching out to mobile consumers, the fact that these startups are not making any money off these transactions has created some uncertainty among consumers.

Mobile Payments - PayPalVenture funding may not be an adequate option for mobile commerce startups

Many mobile payments startups are backed by venture funding. When this funding runs out, however, these companies may be unable to generate a profit or cover the costs associated with the services they offer. Some may be forced to begin charging a fee to process mobile transactions, which may lead to an exodus of clients they acquired through the promise of fee-free services. Others may simply close shop because they cannot afford to continue operation. Those that are determined to persist in the market will have to face PayPal, which boasts of $20 billion in mobile payments on a yearly basis.

Companies may find some success by focusing on very small niches in the market

According to a recent study from market research firm Gartner, the mobile commerce market is expected to reach $235.4 billion in global transaction value by the end of this year. The market is expected to see promising growth throughout the near future, a fact that has generated a great deal of encouragement for those interested in entering the mobile commerce field. Startups may find it difficult to find a foothold with giants like PayPal crowding the field, however, which has led some companies to focus on very specific niches in the mobile payments sector in order to find some degree of success and solvency.

QR codes added to Findables Flex cases for smartphones

The barcodes make it easier for devices that have gone missing to make their way back to their owners.

Findables has just announced that it is adding custom QR codes to the back of their smartphone cases which fit devices such as the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy S3.

These barcodes can be registered with the device owner’s information so that that data can be used if it goes missing.

If the smartphone is ever lost while the owner is out and about, the QR codes can be scanned to learn the information that was registered by that owner. The finder of the device can then contact the owner and arrange to have the smartphone returned. This is only one of a number of feature upgrades that the latest Findables case models will provide.

Aside from the QR codes, the cases also feature a unique fold-out bottom section to serve as a device stand.

Findables smartphone case - QR CodesThis makes it easier to view the screen of the device to watch video or to read web content or ebooks. The company is known for offering a number of different types of case, giving consumers many options from which to choose. It is the FlexStand case that offers the fold-out stand. The FlexWrap, on the other hand, doesn’t have a stand, but is a softer design to more snugly contain the device. The FlexSnap easily snaps onto the handset.

Each of these models all come with QR codes that can be registered so that regardless of the choice or the features the user wants, the smartphone will still have the added security benefit that will make it easier for it to be found and returned if it is ever lost.

Any apps for reading QR codes will work to scan the barcode and find the information, but it takes the Findables own application to register the unique black and white square in the first place. This process is simple and straightforward. The free application is downloaded from the Google Play store or the Apple App Store and when the barcode is scanned for the first time through this app, it opens an account creation page, through which the user’s contact information can be entered.