Smartphone users have a wealth of information available to them by scanning QR codes on products and in advertisements, and will now be able to make charitable donations through the same format.

QR codes to aid 6,000 charities

The start-up Paystik has launched a campaign to raise charitable donations for over 6,000 charities using the QR code as a means to make quick and easy payments when consumers wish to donate to a charity of their choosing. The goal is to use QR codes for easy payments to both charities and small businesses. Both can sign on with Paystik to produce QR codes, thus reducing problems with billing and advertising.

The result will be an app for smartphones, allowing consumers to send quick and easy payments. Project C.U.R.E. will begin a campaign this week with direct mail. Last year, this organization reached out to consumers for charitable donations over the holidays and supplied over $40 million in medical care and supplies around the world. This campaign will be aimed at merchants this year.

QR codes gaining in US

The US has been a hard sell for mainstream use of QR code for payments. Companies like Paypal, DigiMo, Qriket, and Doxo have been accepting payments through QR, though none have become a huge success in that category. It is thought that smartphone saturation in the US could see a change in that regard, with smartphone use steadily on the rise. Still, a QR code is often a hard sell in the US. Some consumers are still not sure what their purpose is and are not aware of how to use the technology.

Co-founder James Ioannidis said, “Obviously, the first time is the hardest. But after on-boarding them, we see consumers making repeat transactions.” He went on to explain that he feels aiding charities will bring Paystik success where other campaigns featuring QR code have faltered. The biggest obstacle is getting the consumer aware of the code and to also download the app.

About Paystik

The company of New Stanford is a three-person operation based in Stanford Venture Studio at the Graduate School of Business. At the present time, the company is bootstrapped, meaning they have no outside investment. Ioannidis is a former program manager with Microsoft.

Mobile commerce becoming more popular with eBay

E-commerce and mobile commerce are gaining momentum and capturing the attention of consumers around the world. As smart phones and tablets become more common, consumers are looking for new ways to shop and purchase products. The more popular mobile commerce becomes, the more companies that emerge looking to establish their hold on the market. They may be unable to compete with those that have long been in the online retail space, however, such as eBay.

Analysts expect eBay to make a major push for mobile commerce in 2013

eBay has come to embrace mobile commerce in a major way. The online retailer saw major results from its mobile commerce initiatives during the 2012 holiday season. These results have helped encourage the company to continue its pursuit of establishing itself as a dominating force in the mobile commerce sector. Analysts from Canaccord Genuity suggest that eBay will continue to see promising results in mobile commerce as online shopping models become more efficient and optimized for mobile consumers.

eBay may soon compete with Amazon

Analysts suggest that eBay will see significant growth, especially in terms of the stock market, in 2013 because of the company’s focus on mobile commerce. Consumers have long been interested in purchasing products online, but have largely been restricted to their PCs. The advent of mobile technology and mobile commerce allow consumers to shop for products wherever they are. Analysts suggest that eBay currently boasts of the most robust mobile commerce services in the retail sector, which could put it in line to compete with Amazon.

Retailers expected to clash in the future

Amazon has also been showing extreme interest in mobile commerce. The company has long been at the head of the e-commerce race, but eBay is quickly becoming a major competitor. Both companies are expected to clash in the mobile commerce arena, with the victor being decided by the company that offers the most intuitive and efficient mobile commerce services to consumers.