New partnership aims to accelerate the development of mobile commerce platform
MCX, a growing mobile commerce firm, has announced that it has partnered with Paydiant, a provider of mobile payments solutions. MCX has been working to develop and launch its own mobile payments platform since 2012. This platform was expected to launch in late 2013, but MCX opted to push back the launch for several reasons. In partnering with Paydiant, MCX believes that its platform can be made better and more capable of handling the needs of consumers and businesses.
MCX to make use of Paydiant technology and services
The MCX platform is to make use of Paydiant’s cloud-based solution in order to make its mobile commerce features more robust. Using a cloud-based platform is also expected to help provide a higher degree of security to the platform, alleviating some of the concerns that consumers have in terms of mobile commerce. The mobile commerce scene has become quite attractive to hackers because many payments platforms lack the security features needed to keep financial information safe from exploitation. Lackluster security has been a major detractor for those that have been somewhat interested in mobile commerce.
Bar codes may help make platform more inclusive
The platform that MCX is developing is expected to make use of bar codes as a way to authenticate mobile payments. QR codes have been growing more common in the mobile commerce field for this purpose. The codes can be easily produced and scanned, making mobile payments somewhat more convenient. Many mobile commerce platforms make extensive use of NFC technology. There is currently a lack of NFC-enabled mobile devices available to consumers, which limits the inclusivity of many platforms.
Merchants are becoming more invested in mobile commerce
Merchants will also be able to make use of the platform from MCX. The retail sector has been growing more conscious of mobile consumers in recent years as many people begin to use their mobile devices to shop in stores. By embracing mobile commerce, these merchants may be able to remain relevant with consumers that are beginning to grow more dependent on their smartphones and tablets.
Whole Foods Markets teams with Square to enter into mobile commerce
Whole Foods Markets has partnered with Square in order to be more accommodating of mobile commerce. The grocery retailer has taken note of a rise in the use of mobile devices among its customers and has become well aware of the mobile commerce trend. Consumers throughout the U.S. are beginning to demand new mobile commerce services and Whole Foods Markets has turned to Square in order to accommodate consumer needs. Square is currently considered one of the most successful mobile payments organizations in North America.
Square helps Starbucks find success in the mobile sector
Square has been part of some of the most successful mobile commerce initiatives in the world. Starbucks partnered with Square in order to engage mobile consumers more aggressively. In 2013, it was reported that Starbucks managed to generate more than $1 billion in revenue through mobile payments alone. These payments were handled by Square’s mobile commerce platform. Whole Foods Markets believes that it can find similar success through its own mobile commerce initiatives.
Test phase will determine consumer interest in mobile payments and the viability of expanding mobile commerce services to other stores
Whole Foods Markets will be testing its mobile payments venture in a limited number of stores initially. The pilot testing phase is meant to help the company better understand mobile commerce and help determine whether mobile commerce is something its customers would participate in. Depending on the success of the testing phase, Whole Foods Markets will expand its mobile commerce initiative to more stores throughout the U.S.
Many consumers remain concerned about mobile commerce security
Square has been working to make mobile commerce mainstream for some time. The company’s partnership with Starbucks has effectively solidified mobile commerce with many consumers throughout the U.S., but many people are still somewhat leery of mobile payments. The concern that many people have when it comes to mobile commerce has to do with the security of their financial information. Mobile commerce has become a popular target for malicious groups that seek to exploit a consumer’s financial information through hacking and other such practices.
