Tag: smartphone payments

Mobile payments platform receives $2 million in funding

mobile payments receive fundingZooZ receives more funding to support mobile payments push

ZooZ, a startup focused on mobile payments, has secured more than $2 million in its Series A funding, which closed this week. The funding is considered a major success for ZooZ, which aims to make mobile payments easier to use for consumers as well as more secure. The money garnered through Series A funding is expected to help ZooZ better establish itself in the competitive mobile commerce market. ZooZ will have to provide a significantly valued service in order to beat out the crowds of other startups that are emerging in the mobile commerce field.

More consumers becoming interested in mobile commerce

Mobile payments are becoming more popular as more consumers begin to rely heavily on their mobile devices. Smartphones and tablets are making it easier for consumers to shop online no matter where they are in the world. As mobile payments become more common, consumers are beginning to demand more comprehensive services that allow them to participate in mobile commerce. Security is also a major issue with consumers, many of whom are concerned for the safety of their financial information while making mobile payments.

Funding to help ZooZ establish more momentum

ZooZ will use the funding it has acquired to add new product functionality to its mobile payments platform. The goal is to increase its appeal to retailers and find new partnerships where the platform can be put to use. ZooZ has ambitions to become the most widely used mobile payments platforms among consumers and merchants. If the startup can develop an easy-to-use and secure system, this may well become a reality.

As ZooZ grows, it may become a competitor with other mobile commerce platforms

ZooZ currently covers much of Europe and Asia and is gaining some momentum in the U.S. The startup is currently competing with a multitude of other mobile commerce startups that are seeking to find success in their own markets. As ZooZ becomes more popular, it will begin to butt heads with larger companies, like Google, that are investing heavily in the mobile payments field.

Mobile payments worries are continuing to rise

Mobile Payments SecurityAs the industry continues to grow and more people consider the use of the services, concerns increase.

Consumers and mobile payments service providers, alike, are expecting this technology to have a considerable impact on the way that business is conducted and products are purchased, but at the same time, there remain a number of concerns that are keeping people from actually using it, quite yet.

There is still growth in in-store purchase, paid bills, and money transfers through smartphone transactions.

At the same time, many experts who are examining this new technology and what mobile payments are doing in the industry say that there are many questions that remain about its privacy and security. This is holding back its progress to a considerable degree as consumers simply don’t trust it enough to feel safe and confident in its use, so far.

At the same time, mobile payments industry execs are saying that the technology is already good and is improving.

Though consumers are hearing that message, they seem to be willing to wait for those improvements to be implemented before they actually put it into use. At the same time, experts in security are also pointing out that the rapid growth of the use of smartphones for mobile payments is also attracting the attention of those who would use it for fraud.

It is precisely this worry that has consumers stepping back and either using the device less than they otherwise would for mobile payments, or simply choosing not to use it at all until they feel that the risks have dropped.

According to a Dallas based organization called NQ Mobile, a company that offers smartphone security software, it witnessed a growth of over 65,000 new malware threats released around the world, last year. This was a massive increase over the 24,000 new threats that were introduced in 2011. This type of issue can cause unsuspecting device users to head to sites where they reveal their financial data so that it can be stolen and used by unethical third parties.

According to Gavin Kim, the company’s chief commercial officer, “It’s a real problem, and it is growing.” Security will clearly be a key issue to overcome before mobile payments can truly take off.