PayPal teams with Orderbird to expand presence in Germany
PayPal has become an aggressive force in the mobile payments arena. The company has been establishing a strong presence in several mobile markets around the world and has become one of the most accessible mobile payment platforms because it is not based solely on NFC technology. PayPal has launched a new service in Germany that is meant to further bolster its presence in the European mobile sector. This service was launched with the help of Orderbird, a startup mobile commerce firm based in Germany.
Service aims to put a new twist on commerce
The new service is called PayPal CheckIn and it is designed to create a more personalized shopping experience for consumers. Using the service, a consumer can build a profile like they would on a conventional social networking site. This profile is activated when a person enters into a store that is using the PayPal CheckIn service. This is a form of geo-location that is similar to social networks like Foursquare and Facebook. Using the profile associated with the service allows consumers to shop for products they may be interested in based on their shopping history.
Orderbird customers show interest in PayPal services
Orderbird notes that the service will initially be trialed among a small number of businesses, mostly cafes and small retail outlets located in Berlin, Germany. Some 1,700 merchants throughout Germany, Austria, and Switzerland are using Orderbird’s services currently, and these merchants have been showing interest from the new mobile payments platform being offered by PayPal.
PayPal continues to pursue mobile commerce
PayPal already has several mobile commerce ventures it is invested in, with the most prominent being Beacon. The company has managed to attract a great deal of support from consumers looking to engage in mobile commerce but cannot easily do so because of a lack of NFC-enabled device. PayPal has opted to avoid using NFC technology for its mobile commerce ventures in order to make them much more inclusive to the general population.
Retailer aims to bolster presence in mobile commerce
Prominent online retailer eBay is poised to expand its presence in the mobile space, according to the company’s new chief product officer, RJ Pittman. The newly hired Pittman recently left a position with Apple in order to pursue new opportunities. Pittman garnered acclaim in his field for developing Apple’s popular storefront and may be a powerful addition to eBay’s staff. The retailer has been working to bolster its presence in the mobile space in order to hold more sway over mobile commerce.
The mobile space has become a priority for eBay
Mobile commerce has become a major focus for eBay due to its popularity with consumers. Many people favor mobile commerce over more traditional forms of commerce because it is more convenient for them to shop online rather than in person. Retailers like eBay offer comprehensive mobile infrastructures that make it easy for consumers to shop on their mobile devices, thereby making it more likely for them to purchase products online. While eBay currently boasts of a significant presence in the mobile field, the retailer is prepared to increase this presence significantly in the near future.
Pittman to focus on improving services
Pittman is currently working to improve eBay’s payment process in order to make it friendlier to mobile users. The retailer already has the backing of PayPal, which is an eBay subsidiary, and Pittman believes that the services offered by PayPal could be put to better use by its parent company. PayPal’s recent acquisition of mobile commerce pioneer Braintree may have some impact on Pittman’s plans as the acquisition provides PayPal, as well as eBay, access to powerful mobile commerce technology.
eBay aims to bring mobile commerce to physical stores
While eBay expects that mobile commerce will have an impact on online shopping, the retailer intends to leverage the power of the mobile space to make shopping in physical stores more engaging. Consumers may be growing more reliant on their mobile devices, but that does not mean they are abandoning physical stores. Ensuring that traditional retailers can accommodate the needs of mobile consumers by embracing mobile commerce has become a priority for eBay.
