Author: JT

LevelUp and NCR form new mobile payments partnership

| May 22, 2013

Mobile payments may benefit from new partnership

LevelUp, a mobile payments company, has partnered with NCR, a leading supplier of point-of-sale software in the U.S. Together, the two companies will focus on spreading mobile payments throughout the U.S. and getting consumers more comfortable with the concept of using their smartphones and tablets to pay for products. Mobile commerce has been growing more common in the U.S., but many consumers are still leery as there are many security concerns that surround the subject. LevelUp, along with NCR, hopes to placate these concerns by providing consumers with a comprehensive mobile payments platform.

LevelUp continues to generate hype in mobile commerce

LevelUp has managed to generate some hype in the world of mobile commerce, especially in the retail sector.  The company offers its own mobile payments application, which can be used by consumers to make purchases from a mobile device. It also offers a platform designed for retailers who are interested in reaching out to mobile consumers, providing them with a way to facilitate mobile payments. This platform leverages the universal usability of QR codes to help make mobile payments more available to a wider range of consumers. Near the end of 2012, more than 500,000 people were making use of the LevelUp application alone.

NCR contact may prove beneficial for LevelUpMobile Payments partnership

NCR has an extensive network of connections in the retail sector as well as the food industry. The company specializes in designing point-of-sale systems and has taken note of the rise in demand for mobile commerce systems in recent years. NCR is working to meet the needs of its clients by putting more focus on supporting mobile payments. LevelUp is expected to benefit from its new partner’s extensive access to businesses in the retail sector.

Companies look toward food industry

LevelUp is not only focused on the retail sector, of course, and has interests in the restaurant business as well. LevelUp believes that mobile payments can be especially successful in restaurants that work to cater to mobile consumers. As such, the company has been working to break new ground in this sector and grow more appealing to those in the food industry. NCR is expected to aid in this endeavor as it has connections to the food industry.

Google aims to make mobile commerce more convenient with new Wallet feature

| May 20, 2013

Google Wallet Mobile CommerceMobile commerce convenience remains most attractive feature among consumers

Just two years ago, there had been a significant amount of hype surrounding Google’s efforts in the mobile commerce sector. The company had introduced its Wallet application, which aimed to make mobile payments somewhat common among consumers and the company had made several moves in its various business sectors to make itself more accommodating to mobile commerce. While some of these initiatives have been less successful than the company had anticipated, Google remains invested in the mobile commerce sector and continues to introduce new services therein.

Wallet receives some criticism for lack of convenience

Part of the allure of mobile commerce lies in the convenience it offers to people. Consumers have praised mobile commerce platforms for their ability to make shopping and paying for products very easy and straightforward. In the past, platforms that did not offer consumers an adequate level of convenience received harsh criticism and, in some cases, ended up failing in their given market. Google’s own mobile commerce platform has received such criticism, which has encouraged the company to take measures to make the Wallet more attractive to consumers.

New feature allows for quick mobile payments

Google has announced a new update for its Wallet platform that will allow users to purchase products and applications in as little as two clicks. This is accomplished through the new Instant Buy API that has been introduced to the Google Wallet. This API allows app developers and merchants to offer instant but services, essentially allowing consumers to conduct a mobile transaction in a very simple manner.

New feature may encourage consumers to use Wallet platform

Google believes that the new capabilities of the Wallet will help consumers become more comfortable with the concept of mobile commerce. Many consumers have criticized the Wallet platform in the past because it did not offer an enjoyable experience, a problem that Google expects will be put to rest with the application’s new checkout feature. So far, Rue La La and Expedia are among the companies testing out this new quick checkout feature.