Tag: mobile commerce news

Merchant Consumer Exchange mobile payments platform to go public in coming months

| April 9, 2015

CurrentC will soon be more available to consumers and retailers in the US

The Merchant Consumer Exchange, a company created by a consortium of retailers in the United States, has announced that its mobile payments platform, CurrentC, will go public within the next few months. The company has developed this mobile payments platforms in order to accommodate the needs of retailers that want to engage mobile consumers. These consumers are becoming more prominent in the retail space, as they are beginning to rely more heavily on their mobile devices in order to shop for and purchase products online and in physical stores.

CurrentC uses NFC technology and QR codes to support mobile payments

CurrentC is designed to be compatible with NFC-based payment terminals. These terminals use NFC technology to receive financial data, which is used to complete a transaction. NFC technology has become the backbone of mobile payments, but it is not the only tool that can be used for transactions. CurrentC will also be using QR codes to support mobile payments. These codes are meant to be generated by point-of-sale terminals, allowing CurrentC users to scan the codes to complete a mobile payment.

Retail partners have already given some momentum to CurrentC

Mobile Payments Coming Soon - WalmartThe Merchant Consumer Exchange holds an opportune position in the retail space. Because the company was established by several large retailers, these organizations have opted to withhold their support of other mobile payments platforms. Retailers like Best Buy and Wal-Mart have opted to deny transactions made through Apple Pay, opting instead to support transactions made using CurrentC. With the new mobile payments system going public in the near future, retailers are about to see their support for the platform pay off.

Exclusive support for CurrentC is expected to end in the coming months

Those associated with the Merchant Consumer Exchange cannot technical support other mobile payments platforms, but the consortium notes that exclusive support for CurrentC will be done away with in the coming months. This means that retail partners will be able to support other platforms that have already become popular with consumers.

Alibaba showing more interest in mobile commerce firms from India

| April 8, 2015

Alibaba is taking steps to work more closely with firms that are based in India

Alibaba, one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world, is looking into acquiring numerous commerce firms based in India. The Chinese company has been experiencing healthy growth following the success that it saw in 2014 and has taken particular interest in mobile commerce. Indian firms are also beginning to embrace the mobile space, especially as more consumers begin to use their smartphones and tablets to shop online at make payments at physical stores.

Company’s investment strategy involves improving the experience that they provide to consumers

The Chinese company is looking for firms that will improve the services that it offers to consumers. According to an Alibaba spokesperson, the company’s investment strategy focuses on three aspects of its overall business model: Increasing user acquisition and engagement, improving customer experience, and the expansion of products and services. By acquiring Indian firms, particularly those with a focus on mobile commerce, Alibaba expects to make improvements to itself and provide consumers with more valuable services in the future.

Several deals improve Alibaba’s position in the mobile commerce space

Over the past three months, Alibaba has been making efforts to Mobile Commerce gains ground in Indiawork with Indian companies of various kinds. In January, the company signed a memorandum of understanding with the Confederation of Indian Industry which will lead to greater business engagements between China and India. In February, a branch of Alibaba acquired a 25% stake in One97 Communications, the parent company of mobile commerce firm Paytm. Last month, Alibaba’s plans hit a snag, as it pulled out of negotiations to take a stake in Snapdeal, another e-commerce firm.

Alibaba intends to play a larger role in the growing mobile commerce market

Alibaba has a particular interest in working with small companies. In the mobile commerce space, small companies can often have significant impact on their chosen market. With the rapidly increasing number of people with mobile devices, the mobile commerce market stands to become a very powerful economic force in the near future, which is something that Alibaba wants to have influence over.