Category: Mobile Payments

MasterCard to launch selfie system for mobile payments

| February 25, 2016

MasterCard is bringing its Selfie Pay system to the UK

MasterCard has announced plans to invest in facial recognition technology more aggressively in the coming years. This announcement comes as MasterCard attempts to reduce the number of false transactions that occur within the mobile space, as well as improving the security of mobile payments overall. The company has been testing its new “Selfie Pay” system in the United States and the Netherlands and will soon bring the service to the United Kingdom, though consumers will have to pay to use it.

Selfie Pay will allow people to use their pictures as a way to verify a mobile transaction

Those using the Selfie Pay system can opt to scan a picture of their face to verify mobile transactions. This picture will be stored online on MasterCard’s servers. The picture will serve as a reference for when consumers want to use facial recognition to authenticate a transaction. Because this information is difficult to tamper with, MasterCard believes that facial recognition technology could be an adequate way to protect consumer information in the mobile commerce space.

Mobile security remains a top priority for MasterCard

MasterCard has been fighting to improve mobile security for some time. The company believes that new identification systems are needed to minimize the number of fraudulent transactions being made in the mobile space. False declines are also a problem, with MasterCard noting that the value of false declines per year has reached $118 billion. This is 13 times higher than the amount lost through credit card fraud every year.

Selfie Pay system is coming to 14 countries later this year

MasterCard is preparing to launch its Selfie Pay system in 14 countries later in the year. The company notes that those testing the system have responded positively, saying that it is both easy to use and does not affect the convenience of mobile payments. With more secure systems in place, more consumers are likely to participate in the mobile commerce space. Security has been a major concern for consumers in recent years, especially as mobile commerce systems have become more prominent and attractive targets.

Samsung to launch its mobile payments service in China this week

| February 24, 2016

Samsung Pay will be launching in China soon

Samsung is planning to launch its first mobile payments service, called Samsung Pay, in China this week. The company is set to compete with Apple, which has only very recently brought its own payment service to the country. Unlike Apple, however, Samsung may have a relatively easy time engage consumers with its new service. Jefferies, a global investment bank, believes that Samsung will find success in the Chinese market, which has become heavily involved in mobile commerce in recent years.

Analysts see Samsung Pay finding more success among consumers than Apple Pay

Jefferies equity analyst Johnny Wong Kin-man believes that there will be less fanfare surrounding the launch of Samsung Pay, but it will likely be more accepted among merchants than Apple Pay. Apple has had trouble ensuring the launch of its payment service in China, where banks had shown relatively little interest in the service. Banks had shown concern that Apple was attempting to take advantage of the mobile commerce ecosystem that they have already established. Apple has since acquired the support of several banks, many of whom see a great deal of promise in the mobile payments space.

Samsung Pay could become a universally accepted payment platform

Mobile Payments Solution to Launch in ChinaSamsung Pay has already proven to be extremely popular among merchants. Samsung predicts that as many as 30 million merchant locations throughout the world will accept the new payment service in the near future. This would make Samsung Pay the world’s first mobile commerce solution that has near universal acceptance. In China, Samsung Pay may become quite popular among consumers that have become reliant on their mobile devices while shopping.

Samsung will face significant competition from Alibaba and Tencent

While Samsung may be able to find more success than Apple, it will face major competition from other companies that have become involved in mobile payments. Both Alibaba and Tencent have established major footholds in the mobile space, with consumers using the platforms these companies have develop to purchase products online and send money to one another.