Mobile Payments - May 9

Taking a mobile and a wallet to the shops?
"Making payments on the move and at the touch of a button isn't the future of banking; it's already here. Mobile phone providers have been quick to focus on finding new ways for customers to access financial services and products from their phones. The Barclays PingIt app is now open to all UK bank and building society accounts, for example, and the Orange Quick Tap app will be available on new Android handsets in the coming weeks, but it is O2 taking all the headlines with the launch of its all-encompassing O2 Wallet this week."

Payments 2012: Mobile Banking Users More Profitable and Loyal
"Those who use mobile banking are among the most loyal and profitable bank customers, according to Ginger Schmneltzer, SVP of digital channel management for SunTrust Bank. Schmeltzer, speaking during a session at the Payments 2012 industry conference organized by NACHA - The Electronic Payments Association, said SunTrust's mobile bankers are 32 percent more profitable than those who don't use the channel and tend to be more loyal. Additionally, Schmeltzer noted they are more active checking account users, and more frequent users of ATMs, call centers and branches."

Mobile payments: Tech titans move in, but consumers still trust banks
"If you had lunch recently at Boom Noodle at Seattle’s University Village, the server handed you your check in a folder, like at any restaurant. But this folder was different. This was Rail. Rail is a wireless device that integrates with point-of-sale systems to let diners swipe credit cards and pay their bills at the table, eliminating the need for servers to deal with payment processing at all. It’s also designed for a future when patrons dispense with the card and just use their phones to pay."

Are Mobile Payments in Trouble? (Source: mobiledia.com)
"Mobiledia examine the mobile banking industry and find that despite retailers, financial institutions, carriers and phone makers all banking on mobile payments, the emerging industry could hit a significant roadblock: reluctant consumers, concerned about privacy and security:"