Tag: mobile commerce news

QR codes help the growth of mobile commerce in South Africa

| May 11, 2015

QR codes are having an impact among South African consumers

QR codes have had a major impact on mobile commerce in South Africa. These codes have become a very prominent tool in the mobile commerce space due to how easy they are to use and produce. The codes can direct consumers to a wide variety of digital information, but can also be used to initiate a mobile transaction, making them ideal tools to merchants that want to sell products to mobile consumers quickly.

Research shows that consumers are using codes for a variety of reasons

World Wide Worx, a technology research firm, has released analysis that shows that more than 2 million people in South Africa are using QR codes via mobile applications. These codes are being used for a wide range of reasons, such as adding a person’s contact information to a messaging app. They are also being used to sell products to mobile consumers. When scanned, these codes can provide information on particular products, while also giving consumers the option to purchase the products that they are interested in.

Young consumers show the most interest in QR codes

QR Codes - Mobile CommerceNotably, QR codes are most popular among those between the ages of 25 and 34. These consumers are more comfortable with the concept of mobile commerce and believe that these codes are effective tools to engage in this sector. The codes are also praised for their social aspects, as they have become quite popular among social media users in South Africa. The codes can be programmed to store contact details and other such information.

QR codes help power growth of mobile commerce

Consumers in South Africa have shown a great deal of interest in mobile commerce. New payment platforms have managed to win the support of these consumers and retailers are beginning to take notice. As such, merchants are looking for ways to embrace the concept of mobile commerce and some have begun turning to QR codes in order to do so. Some had predicted that QR codes would die off in the coming years, but mobile commerce may have saved these codes for the time being.

Visa to expand its mobile payments service to the UK

| May 7, 2015

Visa will be launching its mobile payments platform in the UK in June of this year

Visa has announced that it will be expanding its mobile payments service in Europe. Visa Europe has formed numerous partnerships with retailers and merchants in the United Kingdom, where mobile payments are beginning to gain momentum. The company has also formed partnerships with British banks in order to better compete with other mobile payment platforms that have launched in the country. Visa plans to launch its expanded service in the United Kingdom in June of this year, with 60,000 people being able to use the service at that time.

Digital wallet helps make payments more convenient

Visa’s mobile payments platform, which serves as a digital wallet, was initially launched in 2013. The platform allows users to make purchases online without having to provide their financial information more than once. One of the attractive features of the platform its use of digital tokens, which are used in place of financial information, making mobile transactions more secure. Visa suggests that its platform is more convenient than others, as it can save consumers time when making a purchase online.

Mobile spending is on the rise in the United Kingdom

UK Mobile Payments - VisaAccording to a recent report from Barclays, consumers in the United Kingdom are expected to spend more than $60 billion a year using their smartphones and tablets by 2024. Last year, British consumers spent a combined $10 billion from their mobile devices. Mobile payments are becoming a more attractive option to consumers in the UK, largely due to how convenient nature of mobile commerce and the services that are being offered by numerous companies participating in this space.

Security concerns lead to better protection for consumers

Though mobile payments are becoming more popular, there are security concerns that could slow its growth and adoption. Visa has been working to address these security concerns, using tokenization as a way to protect consumers and their financial information. Biometric technology, such as fingerprint scanners are also becoming more important in the mobile space, as this technology can be used to provide more protection to the mobile commerce space.