Tag: qr code

MasterCard eyes QR codes for secure mobile commerce

| November 10, 2012

 

MasterCard teams with ING Bank to focus on QR codes

MasterCard has beguMobile Commerce qr codesn testing new ways to allow consumers to make online transactions securely. The financial institution envisions a platform that will protect consumers from the risks they face in the online world while also providing them convenient service. The company’s PayPass platform has become somewhat popular in mobile commerce, but MasterCard is looking to expand the capabilities of this platform and has set its sights on QR Codes. MasterCard has teamed with ING Group, a Dutch bank, to launch a trial project for its new initiative in the Netherlands.

QR codes becoming much more than marketing tool

QR codes are widely used in mobile marketing, but have seen some use in the realm of mobile commerce. The codes first rose to popularity in Japan in the 1990’s, where advertisers would use them to provide engaging content to consumers. The codes have filled this role all over the world since then, but have begun expanding beyond their advertising roots. QR codes have begun seeing use as parts of virtual stores, wherein consumers can scan the codes to purchase particular items from a mobile website that is associated with a retail store.

Netherlands trial will put QR codes to use in mobile commerce

MasterCard believes that QR codes would be a secure platform for mobile transactions. The company, along with ING Group, are keen to see how the codes can function in mobile shopping in the Netherlands. The PayPass platform is MasterCard’s flagship mobile commerce platform and will participate in the trial. Consumers with be able to use the PayPass to make purchases of goods through a number of participating retail stores. Consumers will also get a chance to use QR codes, which can be scanned to facilitate a mobile transaction through a secure website.

Viability of barcodes to be put to the test through 2013

The trial will run through the first quarter of 2013. MasterCard and ING Group will collect data concerning the trial to determine the viability of QR codes in mobile commerce. If consumers find the codes to be efficient, they may soon become much more than a simple marketing tool. This will be especially true if MasterCard can see that the codes are able to facilitate a more secure form of mobile commerce.

QR codes confronted with threat of being replaced

| November 9, 2012

 

qr codes replacement threatQR codes seeing rampant use that may soon render them useless

QR codes are popular in marketing and widely used around the world. The codes have proven useful in engaging mobile consumers in a dynamic way, allowing marketing campaigns to target people that have a history of being difficult to engage. QR codes saw early success when they first began seeing widespread use in the mid-1990’s, and now companies eager to appeal to mobile consumers are using the codes as much as possible. Without a clear strategy, the value and impact of QR codes has begun to diminish and many consumers are now wary of the codes and avoiding them entirely.

Poor experiences generate consumer fatigue

Poor execution has created consumer fatigue where QR codes are concerning. Spire Research, a market analysis firm, notes that QR codes are now only used by a minority of consumers that are exposed to them. Leon Perera, CEO of Spire Research, claims that QR codes have established a foothold in the print industry because they are considered examples that a magazine, newspaper, or other publication has adopted a more tech-savvy stance, not because they are being widely used.

Augmented reality and NFC technology may be more effective than QR codes

QR codes are coming under threat from other interactive technologies that may be more effective marketing and commerce tools. Augmented reality, for example, has proven popular among advertisers that want to provide consumers with dynamic digital content. In terms of mobile commerce, NFC technology is king. QR codes have been used in past mobile commerce initiatives, and are still considered an effective way to sell products to mobile consumers, but NFC technology is more capable in this realm than the codes.

ScanLife sees problems with widespread QR code usage

Mike Wehrs, CEO of ScanLife, a mobile engagement firm renowned for its use of QR codes, claims that the abundance of QR codes may actually be their downfall. Because so many companies make use of the codes without ensuring they provide quality experiences to consumers, many people are being put off by poor execution. Wehrs notes “just because you can place a code on something, doesn’t mean you should.”