Tag: europe

Mobile commerce is gaining momentum in Russia

| February 24, 2015

Russia is becoming a major mobile commerce market

Russia may be emerging as a prominent mobile commerce market. According to PayPal, mobile shopping has become more popular in Russia, rivaling the popularity of mobile payments in many parts of Europe. PayPal Russia notes that consumers in the country are quite different than those in Europe as they are showing significantly more favor for mobile commerce. Convenience has something to do with this, as the company notes that many Internet users are shopping online because it is simply easier.

Russia may soon catch up with  Europe in terms of mobile commerce transactions and online shopping

According to PayPal Russia, consumers are using their smartphones and tablets to place an average of 2.6 online orders every month. The average number of orders placed in Europe every month is 3. Mobile payments volume in Russia is only slightly lower than that found in Europe. Notably, Russian consumers are somewhat more cavalier when it comes to mobile commerce. PayPal notes that Russian consumers are more willing to push the boundaries of what they can purchase with their smartphones and tablets.

More consumers want to be able to make mobile payments in physical stores

Mobile Commerce and RussiaApproximately 25% of Russian consumers have reported that they would like to be able to purchase products in physical stores using only their mobile devices. Another 22% said that they would like to be able to order food at restaurants before arriving and dining. This would cut down on the site people would have to wait at a restaurant before they were served their food. Placing a reservation through a mobile device would also cut down on wait times outside of restaurants.

Russia’s mobile sector is growing quickly

Russia is quickly emerging as a prominent mobile commerce market. Though the country is lagging behind others in terms of mobile payments volume and sales, more people are beginning to use mobile devices in their daily lives. The country’s e-commerce market reached $17 billion in 2013, and more consumers are demanding services that cater specifically to their mobile devices.

ING shows support for Apple’s mobile payments service

| January 6, 2015

ING is preparing to embrace Apple Pay if it is launched in Europe in the near future

Dutch bank ING has begun showing support for Apple Pay. The new mobile payments platform from Apple has yet to launch beyond the United States, but ING is already showing support for payments made from Apple devices. Apple has seen significant promise in the mobile payments space and has responded to the increasing demand for payment services by offering its own. In the few months since Apple Pay’s release, it has become a prominent competitor in the new commerce space.

Apple Pay has yet to become a mainstream success among consumers in the US

Apple Pay launched with the support of thousands of retail organizations and the support of some of the largest financial institutions in the world. Despite this strong support, the platform has yet to become a mainstream success, but it one of the very few mobile payments services that is available for iOS devices. The success of Apple Pay has been growing slowly over the past few months, which may have slowed Apple’s plans to release the service in other countries.

Rumors suggest that Apple Pay may expand into Europe, the Middle East, India, and Africa

ING - Mobile PaymentsThere are rumors that suggest that Apple is preparing to launch Apple Pay in the United Kingdom. Other speculation suggests that Apple is preparing to launch its payment service in the Middle East, India, and Africa as well. The company has not yet announced any definitive plans for doing so, but growing demand for mobile payment services could draw Apple to other countries. In preparation for this potential expansion, banks like ING are beginning to show support for the payment service.

Some banks express concerns about Apple Pay’s security

While many banks have begun to show interest in supporting Apple Pay, others in the United Kingdom have expressed concerns over the security of the platform. Mobile commerce has begun to attract the attention of malicious groups that seek to exploit consumer financial information, and relatively few platforms have the security measures in place to protect this information.