Mobile payments initiative meets success
Homeland Stores, a regional supermarket grocery chain based in the U.S., has concluded a pilot program for its mobile payments initiative. The SwiftScan program, as it is called, was initially launched in June of this year and was meant to demonstrate the benefits of mobile payments in the retail sector. The technology for the retailer’s mobile payments platform comes from Double Beam, which has significant experience in the mobile commerce sector.
Application uses QR codes as alternative to NFC
The SwiftScan application is meant to allow users to pay for groceries using their smartphones. The application functions in the same way that typical mobile payments services do, facilitating transactions through the use of authentication systems designed to verify the identity of its user. SwiftScan also makes use of QR codes, which are becoming a relatively common mobile commerce tool. The codes are typically seen only in marketing, but have been gaining traction in the mobile payments sector as an alternative to NFC technology.
Retailer to expand availability of mobile payments app
The pilot program took place at 20 of Homeland Stores’ locations. The program has been considered a success, which means the retailer will be expanding the availability of its mobile payments application to 26 additional locations by the end of October. The company notes that consumers have responded very well to the application and the services it provides, providing the retail with sufficient encouragement to continue pursuing mobile payments aggressively.
Mobile commerce continues to gain ground with retailers
Mobile payments services are becoming more common among retailers as consumers begin showing more favor for mobile commerce in general. Technology and financial firms like Google and PayPal are not the only ones offering mobile commerce platforms to consumers. Retailers are developing their own platforms in the hopes of establishing a strong presence in the mobile payments field. Thus far, few retailers have been able to accomplish this goal, but the mobile commerce field is still relatively young.
eBay continues to make aggressive moves in the mobile commerce field
Retail giant already boasts of a formidable presence in the mobile sector, but that does not mean that the company has grown complacent. Through its PayPal subsidiary, eBay has been working to engage consumers throughout the world on the field of mobile commerce. With mobile devices becoming more common, people around the world are beginning to engage in new forms of commerce. Mobile commerce has become one of the most lucrative fields in the mobile space and has attracted the interest of retail and technology companies of all kinds.
Braintree expects to process $12 billion in payments this year
This week, eBay announced its acquisition of Braintree, a mobile commerce specialist, for $800 million. The company plans to combine Braintree with the mobile payments division of PayPal in order to bolster its growing mobile commerce infrastructure. Braintree estimates that it will process more than $12 billion in mobile payments this year and it lists Rovio, OpenTable, TaskRabbit, and Heroku among its clients.
Venmo application now available to eBay
Through the acquisition, eBay has gained access to Braintree’s Venmo application, which facilitates mobile payments from smartphones and tablets. The application is yet another platform through which eBay and PayPal can engage mobile consumers. PayPal is a strong advocate of mobile commerce platforms that are not wholly reliant on NFC technology. The company has some security concerns when it comes to NFC and is also critical of the exclusive nature of the technology. The low availability of NFC-enabled mobile devices makes it difficult for many consumers to participate in mobile commerce in any meaningful way.
Braintree expected to continue current operations alongside PayPal
Braintree is expected to continue many of its current operations. Per the acquisition, the company will exist as a separate entity within PayPal and will provide services that will fall under the Braintree name. The company is also engaged in a partnership with Facebook concerning streamlining mobile commerce through the Auto Fill with Facebook initiative.
