Tag: smartphone payments

Latin America to receive new options in terms of mobile payments

Clip, a mobile payments company, has announced that it has successfully raised some $1.5 million in funding recently. The funding will be used to bring the company’s mobile payments services to Spanish-speaking parts of the world. Clip suggests that mobile point-of-sale systems are relatively uncommon in these parts of the world, effectively prohibiting numerous consumers from participating in mobile payments in any significant fashion. Clip expects that in offering its services to Spanish-speaking consumers will encourage these people to embrace mobile commerce.

Clip backed by powerful and useful experience in commerce

Clip itself is a relatively new startup, but the company is backed by talent personnel that have extensive experience in mobile commerce. The company was founded by Adolfo Babaya, whom had worked as PayPal’s Customer Engagement Latin America department in the past. Backed by this experience, Babaya is well equipped to enable Clip to engage a wide assortment of Spanish-speaking consumers throughout Latin America.

Mobile commerce has yet to establish foothold in Latin America

Latin America is a relatively unpopular market when it comes to the matter of mobile commerce. This is somewhat unfortunate given the high penetration of mobile technology throughout the region. Consumers in several countries in this region have shown their interest in shopping online, making use of the various e-commerce platforms that are available to them. Mobile commerce has yet to take hold in any significant fashion, but this is not just due to the lack of mobile payments services. Banks and other financial services firms throughout Latin America have expressed security concerns regarding mobile commerce as a whole.

Consumers expected to embrace mobile payments from Clip

With Clip introducing new mobile payments opportunities to consumers, mobile commerce may be able to establish a stronger foothold in a very economically active region of the world. Consumers are likely to respond well to the introduction of Clip’s services. Retailers are expected to benefit from the company’s services as well, as there are currently very few mobile point-of-sale solutions available to retailers in this part of the world.

The company has announced the start of a trial program for small transactions in some stores.

Should a new Eftpos mobile payments trial prove to be successful, it may provide the opportunity to Australians to make digging through a purse or a pocket for change nothing more than a distant memory.

This is because its pilot program is to allow smartphone owners to use their devices to make small purchases.

The mobile payments trial will be run in certain Australian stores beginning in July. According to the CEO of Eftpos, Bruce Mansfield, if this program proves to be successful, it could lead to a much broader roll out in which the use of smartphones for this purpose could become mainstream. He explained that it could actually help to reduce the need for cash in smaller denominations.

Eftpos believes that the convenience and speed of mobile payments will play very well in its favor.

Mansfield explained that “This type of mobile payment could displace low value cash. It’s quicker, it comes down to speed and convenience and potentially a reward. We’re certainly hopeful.”

This pilot project is the start of a five year agreement with mobile payments company, C-SAM. It will use technology similar to that which has been implemented by Visa PayWave. This near field communication tech (NFC technology) will be combined with apps in order to allow shoppers to use a form of digital wallet.

The CEO went on to specify that the reason that they have faith in the use of mobile payments in this way is that consumers in Australia “already have a love affair” with their smartphones. Now, they’re seeking to broaden the various ways in which interactions through smartphones can occur as an element of the overall shopping experience, and to take part in a greater amount of that interaction.

Beyond mobile payments, Mansfield also saw opportunities in providing shoppers with the ability to create lists of items they need, locate products, and find and use loyalty offer or reward programs using their smartphones. This way, consumers can combine their favorite device with a larger number of the shopping activities that they do in a regular day.