Tag: nfc technology

Mobile payments developments from Isis wallet at Money2020

Mike Abbot presented the future of this smartphone based program.

Money2020 was stirring with the latest mobile payments news that was released by the Isis smartphone based wallet through the presentation made by its CEO, Mike Abbott.

The primary focus of the presentation was that the service makes paying simple, secure, and smarter.

The central element of the Isis mobile payments wallet is that a user is able to add a multiple credit cards into this digital service, and that each of these cards can be accessed through a single password or pin. Moreover, the type of card that can be added to the wallet is not limited to credit.Mike Abbot

This mobile payments service also holds loyalty cards and opportunities for discounts and offers.

For example, beyond the loyalty cards that allow for points collection and redemption, for example, this mobile payments service also gives users the ability to receive and store coupons and deal offers that can be redeemed in store.

The mobile payments wallet is based on technology referred to as Smart Tap. This is an NFC based technology that allows a smartphone to be tapped against a reader device in order to complete a transaction.

Abbot announced that new phones are now being rolled out through partnerships with Verizon Wireless, AT&T Mobile, and T-Mobile. These devices will be sold with the Isis wallet preloaded, so that consumers will automatically have this service Isisavailable to them upon the purchase of their devices. The launch of the preloaded phones will occur within the last quarter of this year.

It was noted that while some may think that mobile payments are not taking off at a rapid rate, the latest predictions for the United States are implying that half (50 percent) of all households will be using this type of transaction in at least one form by the year 2020. This indicates that the potential for growth in mobile wallets that are not limited to a single type of card and that also include loyalty programs and coupons, is a tremendous one and that it should not be overlooked or underestimated.

Apple may be developing a lead in mobile commerce

Google continues work to establish mobile commerce presence

Despite a turbulent launch, Google Wallet continues to show signs of life as Google works to establish a commanding presence in the mobile commerce sector. The Google Wallet’s launch was plagued with serious security issues that threatened the financial information of consumers that used it. This caused many people to avoid the mobile commerce platform for several months after its launch, despite the fact that Google had resolved its security issues within a matter of days. Over the past few months, Google Wallet has been able to attract more users, and Google has been introducing new features to the mobile commerce platform.

Google Wallet receives new features, but may not be able to compete with Apple

Google Wallet now has the ability to facilitate money transfers. The platform is also able to store digital material offered through various loyalty programs that are common within the retail industry. The platform allows users to redeem their rewards through such programs in an convenient fashion. The Google Wallet does, of course, facilitate mobile payments as well. Notably, however, the Wallet does not have a companion application for the iOS platform, which may be an issue considering Apple’s interest in mobile commerce.

Apple Mobile CommerceiOS 7 puts emphasis on Passbook

Last week, Apple unveiled the iOS 7, which puts some emphasis on the company’s Passbook. The Passbook platform is very similar to the Google Wallet in that it can store digital information from loyalty programs, travel tickets, and other such data. Unlike the Google Wallet, however, the Passbook cannot currently support mobile payments, though it is designed to do so. While Apple has not shown direct support for mobile commerce due to security concerns and other issues, the iPhone is a popular mobile commerce platform. A recent study from AdTruth shows that 57% of mobile commerce purchases were made from iPhones during the first half of 2013.

Lack of NFC support may actually put Apple in the lead

Apple may be establishing a strong edge in the mobile commerce space through a lackadaisical support of third party mobile payment services. The vast majority of these services are not based on NFC technology because the iPhone itself does not support NFC. Google Wallet, however, does make use of this technology. This means that the Wallet can only be used by NFC-enabled mobile devices, which are still very rare when compared to the iPhone.