Tag: smartphone payments

Mobile payments continue to thrive with Starbucks

| April 30, 2013

Starbucks Mobile PaymentsStarbucks sees strong potential in mobile payments

Starbucks has seen a significant degree of success through its mobile payments initiative. The company, which began embracing mobile payments only a few short years ago, continues to see more consumers show interest in the idea of mobile commerce with each passing day. The company now reports that it processes more than 3 million mobile transactions every week, and expects that this number will continue to grow as the company begins to put more focus on innovation in order to continue capturing the favor of tech-savvy consumers.

Company continues to focus on innovation

Mobile payments are quickly becoming a staple for Starbucks, but they have not yet become the company’s lifeblood. The company has been able to offer consumers a more convenient and efficient way to pay for products, but Starbucks is beginning to look for ways to improve the mobile payments experience. As such, the company has a goal to further bridge the gap between the physical world and the digital world.

Starbucks aims to connect physical and digital worlds

Bridging this gap can be somewhat difficult given the vague nature of the separation of these two realms. Starbucks is keen to create a deeper experience for consumers when it comes to mobile payments and shopping in physical stores. Part of this involves providing consumers more information concerning certain products and giving them the opportunity to engage in this information in a dynamic fashion. The company also has plans to put emphasis on its line of health and wellness products, and will offer these products through a variety of mobile initiatives in the future.

Mobile payments find support throughout retail industry

Mobile payments have been well received by Starbucks and its consumers. Starbucks is not the only company showing a strong interest in mobile payments. Much of the retail industry has become enthralled with the concept of mobile commerce. This interest is largely driven by the increasing number of consumers with smartphones and tablets who are interested in a new form of commerce.

Amazon and Apple may control the fate of mobile payments

| April 27, 2013

Mobile Payments Apple and AmazonCompanies may holds significant sway over the future of mobile payments

Commerce is changing as mobile technology begins to play a bigger role in the lives of people around the world. Traditional payments are becoming more cumbersome to consumers, causing many to look for more convenient ways to purchase goods and services. Mobile has become the answer to this problem, with consumers flocking to the concept of mobile payments. As with many other aspects of commerce, a handful of companies and organizations are expected to have a major influence on this sector. Amazon and Apple are among those companies.

Amazon begins breaking into mobile commerce

Amazon has shown strong interest in mobile payments for some time, given that much of the company’s business is firmly within the online world. The company is consider an e-commerce giant, putting it in a position to establish itself as a leading power in the mobile commerce field. Indeed, Amazon has been working on its own mobile payments platform that is being designed with security in mind. Apple, on the other hand, has been very cautious of mobile payments, showing serious concern for mobile security.

Apple showing interest in taking mobile payments to a new level

It had been anticipated that Apple would break into the mobile commerce field with the release of the iPhone 5. This, however, was not the case, as the iPhone 5 did not end up supporting NFC technology as had been expected. While Apple had adopted a slow and steady approach to mobile payments, the company may soon be ramping up its efforts. Those involved in the mobile commerce industry suggest that it would be difficult for the company to break into a sector they do not specialize in, largely due to the various issues involved in general commerce.

Apple may serve as a platform for third party services

Apple has been showing signs that it is interested in service as a platform for mobile payments conducted through third parties rather than developing its own mobile commerce platform. To this end, Apple is likely to have significant sway over the industry, as it will play a role in determining which mobile payments services are viable and which could be considered insignificant.