Tag: mobile payments

ChannelAdvisor releases report showing that online merchants had a successful holiday season

ChannelAdvisor has released its latest report concerning the performance of online marketplaces during the holiday season. Companies like Amazon and eBay have performed well during the 2014 holiday season, particularly because of their focus on mobile commerce. According to the report from ChannelAdvisor, online marketplaces say a 16.2% increase in digital sales during the holidays. Much of this growth came from mobile shopping, as consumers opted to use their smartphones and tablets to purchase products rather than visit physical stores.

Amazon saw an increase in online sales during the holidays, with some of its growth powered by mobile commerce

Amazon saw a 26% increase in sales among same-store merchants. These merchants fall into the category of those that have been selling through Amazon for at least one year. Amazon saw significant growth in online sales because of its aggressive promotional deals, which were launched at the beginning of December. Some of these deals were offered to mobile consumers specifically, creating an incentive for consumers to participate in mobile commerce.

Mobile shopping continues to gain momentum among consumers and businesses

Mobile commerce proved quite popular during the holiday season because of its convenient nature. Many consumers opted to shop on their mobile device in order to avoid the chaotic crowds that surge to physical stores during the holidays. By shopping on a mobile device, many consumers were able to purchase products from the comfort of their homes, or while traveling, and these products could be delivered to a destination of their choosing.

Online retailers are beginning to focus more heavily on the mobile commerce sector

Online retailers have been engaged in e-commerce for several years, but they are relatively new to the mobile commerce space. These companies have managed to engage mobile consumers effectively during the holidays, which has granted them some significant momentum going into the new year. Consumers are likely to continue using their mobile devices to shop online, especially as mobile commerce platforms become more engaging and offer better experiences.

The operator from the United Kingdom has announced the start of fares paid through smartphone transactions.

In the United Kingdom, a regional bus operator has now announced that it will be accepting mobile payments to let riders pay for their fares using the Barclay’s Pingit app, using their smartphones.

The bus company, First West Yorkshire, is among the first in the country to enable Pingit fares.

First West Yorkshire, has made an announcement that has revealed that it will be beginning the use of the mobile payments service in order to provide riders with an additional transaction method. The service that they have chosen is Pingit, the app that was initially introduced by Barclays back in 2012. The transportation industries in the United Kingdom have not yet broadly adopted smartphone based payments, making this local operator among the first to take that first step into this sphere.

The choice to use mobile payments was meant to be a reflection of the company’s intention to keep up with what consumers want.

According to the First West Yorkshire managing director, Paul Matthews, “Our partnership with Barclays puts First at the forefront of bus ticketing technology and reflects our commitment to grasp ever more innovative ways to make bus travel better, easier and more convenient.”

Though this bus operator is among the first in the U.K. transportation industry to make this move into appealing to consumers with mobile devices, the rest of the world has been catching on at an increasing rate. Some have predicted that this will be an important trend in areas such as travel and in public transportation. Mobile check-ins, for instance, are becoming increasingly commonplace among airlines in airports.

Some cities around the world have also been piloting programs that have been testing the use of smartphone based ticketing for their bus and subway systems. Among the key challenges has been choosing technology that would be compatible with the largest number of mobile devices as there has yet to be a standard within the very young smartphone based transaction industry.

From First West Yorkshire’s point of view, the mobile payments ticketing service has been chosen to give riders a quick, easy, and convenient way to use their smartphones to purchase and store their fares.