Tag: walmart

Merchant Consumer Exchange mobile payments platform to go public in coming months

| April 9, 2015

CurrentC will soon be more available to consumers and retailers in the US

The Merchant Consumer Exchange, a company created by a consortium of retailers in the United States, has announced that its mobile payments platform, CurrentC, will go public within the next few months. The company has developed this mobile payments platforms in order to accommodate the needs of retailers that want to engage mobile consumers. These consumers are becoming more prominent in the retail space, as they are beginning to rely more heavily on their mobile devices in order to shop for and purchase products online and in physical stores.

CurrentC uses NFC technology and QR codes to support mobile payments

CurrentC is designed to be compatible with NFC-based payment terminals. These terminals use NFC technology to receive financial data, which is used to complete a transaction. NFC technology has become the backbone of mobile payments, but it is not the only tool that can be used for transactions. CurrentC will also be using QR codes to support mobile payments. These codes are meant to be generated by point-of-sale terminals, allowing CurrentC users to scan the codes to complete a mobile payment.

Retail partners have already given some momentum to CurrentC

Mobile Payments Coming Soon - WalmartThe Merchant Consumer Exchange holds an opportune position in the retail space. Because the company was established by several large retailers, these organizations have opted to withhold their support of other mobile payments platforms. Retailers like Best Buy and Wal-Mart have opted to deny transactions made through Apple Pay, opting instead to support transactions made using CurrentC. With the new mobile payments system going public in the near future, retailers are about to see their support for the platform pay off.

Exclusive support for CurrentC is expected to end in the coming months

Those associated with the Merchant Consumer Exchange cannot technical support other mobile payments platforms, but the consortium notes that exclusive support for CurrentC will be done away with in the coming months. This means that retail partners will be able to support other platforms that have already become popular with consumers.

Wal-Mart grows more focused on mobile payments

| March 18, 2015

Retailer aims to preserve the convenience and security of mobile shopping

Wal-Mart has been experimenting with mobile payments for some time now and the company is beginning to focus more of its efforts on the mobile space. According to Charles Holley, Chief Financial Officer of Wal-Mart, convenience has become one of the most important aspects of mobile commerce, and ensuring that this convenience remains intact as mobile payments become more prominent is becoming a priority. Security and eliminating the costs associated with mobile payments is also becoming important.

Retail is changing to become more mobile-centric

The retail space is beginning to shift and more consumers are beginning to rely on their mobile devices to shop for and purchase products. Finding ways to make the mobile shopping experience enjoyable is important, but Wal-Mart is not yet sure what role mobile payments will play in its overarching business. This may involve exploring new payment options in order to ensure that the company remains on the cutting edge of mobile commerce.

CurrentC may not be the solution that retailers need for the mobile space

Walmart Store - Mobile PaymentsWal-Mart is currently part of the Merchant Consumer Exchange, a consortium of retailers that has its own mobile payments system called CurrentC. The system makes use of QR codes in order to process mobile transactions and boasts of a “secure cloud-hosted network,” which provides extra security for those making payments. CurrentC is currently in a private testing phase and the Merchant Consumer Exchange is beginning to feel pressure to release a comprehensive mobile payments solution in order to compete with other options that are available.

Without an effective solution, retailers may opt to use other mobile payments platforms not developed by the Merchant Consumer Exchange

If such a solution does not come soon, Wal-Mart and other retailers may opt to use other mobile payments platforms, such as Apple Pay. Those involved in the Merchant Consumer Exchange cannot use other payment solutions at this time, which has limited their ability to engage mobile consumers in effective ways. With mobile shopping growing in prominence, this may no longer be a sustainable practice.