Author: JT

Transport for London introduces new rules barring cash payments for bus fare

Those using public transportation in London will no longer be able to pay their bus fair with cash. Transport for London, the city’s public transit authority, has begun implementing new rules that bar bus drivers from accepting cash, meaning that passengers will have to make use of prepaid cards or concessionary tickets. This also open the way for the use of mobile payments, allowing travelers to pay their bus fare with nothing more than their mobile device.

Mobile commerce and public transit are beginning to grow more closely together

Mobile commerce and public transportation synergize well. Digital payments are often praised for their convenience, allowing consumers to purchase goods and services relatively quickly. This is why mobile commerce has become quite popular among commuters, as it allows them to make purchase wherever they are and at any time. Because so many people have mobile devices, the idea of combing mobile payments and public transportation seems natural.

New rules are not likely to affect the majority of those making use of London’s buses on a daily basis

According to Transport for London, the majority of consumers will be unaffected by its new rules. An estimated 99% of people using the city’s buses already pay their fare through the use of prepaid cards or tickets. These rules are being considered another step in London’s ongoing “payment revolution,” which is personified by those using alternative payment methods and abandoning cash. The demand for mobile-centric payment services is on the rise as well, with more businesses opting to support mobile commerce alongside more traditional forms of commerce.

New service introduces more convenience to the public transportation system

Transport for London has also introduced a new service that is designed to make public transportation more convenient for people throughout the City. The One More Journey service allows people to make one more trip if they do not have enough money on their prepaid cards to cover bus fare. Some 44,000 people have benefitted from this new service since its introduction in June.

The tech manufacturer has seen considerable challenges in the country, but it appears to be making headway.

While Apple has struggled to take hold in mobile commerce in China, a highly desirable market, the latest figures are starting to indicate that the manufacturer is starting to find it increasingly easy to sell its iOS based devices within this most populated country in the world.

A recent report from Bloomberg has revealed that Apple is opening many new retail shops in China.

Though this has not necessarily been officially announced, the mobile commerce news has shown that Apple has been hiring a massive new crew of managers in order to be able to provide the various locations with staff. So far, it appears as though there will be six new Apple stores in the works to one day open their doors in various places across China.

The hiring to enhance this mobile commerce experience is occurring in six Chinese cities.

It is therefore assumed that there will be one Apple store placed in each of those various urban areas. The hiring is for outlets that will be located in Shenyang, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Zhengzhou, Wuxi, and Tianjin.

At the moment, none of those cities have an Apple retail store location, which makes it appear even more evident that any hiring that will occur there will be for a shop that will be opening its doors in the future, as it cannot be for one that is already in existence. Another indicator that has been suggesting that the stores will be coming soon is that there is another iPhone anticipated before the end of the year. In fact, the majority of the mobile technology industry is in relative agreement that it will be launched by this fall.

That said, while it is quite likely that Apple retail stores will be opening in those Chinese cities in order to take advantage of the mobile commerce opportunity of having more shops in this massively populated country once the iPhone 6 is released, that also has not been confirmed by any official sources. Equally, it would make the spread of the devices in China much easier for the country if the doors were open in time.