Author: Stephen

Twitter teams with Lookup to offer new mobile payments service in India

| January 5, 2016

Companies are offering more options when it comes to making mobile payments in India

Twitter has partnered with Lookup, developers of an application of the same name that connects consumers with retailers, to bring new mobile payments services to India. The Indian market has proven to be quite prominent in the mobile payments space, largely due to rapidly growing smartphone penetration and the fact that consumers are beginning to use their devices to shop online. The new services will be available through Twitter, and shoppers can use the handle @lookuplite for a variety of purposes.

Twitter will serve as a platform to connect merchants directly with consumers through Lookup

Twitter users will be able to send a direct message to Lookup to receive information about products that they may be interested in. They will also be able to use Lookup’s new handle to make appointments with certain organizations and, in some cases, complete mobile transactions. The social media company will not be handling the transactions made through the new service, serving instead as a sort of middleman for these payments.

Lookup boasts of more than 1.2 million registered users

Mobile Payments - IndiaLookup has been growing in popularity because of its ability to connect merchants directly with consumers. The company boasts of 1.2 million registered users despite only operating in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore. Through Lookup, consumers are able to find a wealth of information about products being offered by merchants. The service can even be used to set up a transaction, allowing consumers to purchase the products that they are interested in.

India continues to grow as a prominent mobile payments market

India has quickly established its as a prominent mobile payments market. Many consumers have begun using their mobile devices to shop online rather than visit physical stores. They see mobile shopping as more convenient, allowing them to bypass the traditional checkout process. Several organizations have begun coming to the country in order to find success with their mobile commerce endeavors, but competition has proven to be quite fierce in India. Companies like Lookup have managed to establish a strong foothold in India by providing unique services that appeal to mobile shoppers.

Samsung’s mobile payments service to launch in US next year, with new features

| December 31, 2015

Samsung Pay to be available on less expensive Samsung devices

Samsung Pay, the new mobile payments service from Samsung, is expected to launch in the United States next year. The service will not only be available to those with the latest Samsung devices, however, as the company intends to make it available for older, less expensive devices when it is launched. Samsung Pay is also expected to begin accepting online payments when it is launched in the U.S., which will put the service in direct competition with companies like PayPal.

Samsung expanding the availability of mobile payments service may be a boon for consumers

Samsung has not yet offered specific information concerning the availability of Samsung Pay on less expensive mobile devices, but this is expected to make the service much more attractive to consumers. While the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Note 5 have become quite popular among consumers, many still prefer inexpensive devices as they satisfy their needs without being coupled with overwhelming costs. Many of these devices lack NFC technology, however, which has become a very powerful mobile payments tool. Without NFC technology, many consumers cannot participate in mobile commerce, but this is an issue that Samsung is looking to address.

Samsung to bring new service to other markets throughout the world

Samsung Mobile PaymentsThe new mobile payments service will not be restricted to the United States, of course. Samsung plans to launch the service in several other countries, having already completed testing of the service in its native South Korea. Several countries have begun experiencing strong growth in the mobile payments sector, with consumers beginning to favor their smartphones to do their shopping and send money to one another.

Digital wallets are becoming more popular among consumers

Samsung Pay is designed to function as a digital wallet, which will be able to store information from consumers and merchants alike. Storing financial information can expedite the checkout process, making it easier for consumers to purchase products in physical stores. The mobile payments service will also feature security features that are meant to protect consumer information and keep them free from exploitation.