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PayPal app becomes a deal offering mobile wallet payment platform
PayPal's status as the mobile payment method of choice for the masses is beset upon all sides by many would-be usurpers. What's the company doing to stay on top? Beefing up the feature set of its apps for iOS and Android in a big way today -- adding a full-on mobile wallet, automatically-applied deals and discounts and some new ways to order stuff and pay for it. The wallet feature lets people pay with a PayPal account, a credit or debit card, bank account or a line of Bill Me Later credit that can be applied for within the app. Like Google Wallet, the new PayPal app incorporates deals and discounts that are then automatically applied when you pay. Speaking of which, you can still send money the old-fashioned PayPal way, but the new app also integrates ordering, couponing and paying within PayPal's merchant network. We got to see the new app in action, so join us after the break for more.
TriMet mobile ticketing app opens to all mass transit riders in Portland area
After a successful closed beta trial, mobile ticketing is now a reality for the multitude of mass transit riders in the Portland metropolitan area. The TriMet Tickets app is now available for iPhone and Android users, establishing TriMet as the nation's first multimodal transit agency to offer smartphone-based ticketing across all of its operations -- this includes the region's commuter rail, light rail, streetcar and bus lines. The free app allows users to purchase either one or multiple tickets, which extend from 2-hour fares to 30-day passes. Tickets are verified with QR codes and on-screen animations, making it difficult for riders to game the system with simple screenshots. The mobile payment system is made possible by GlobeSherpa, a Portland-based company that also provides service alerts and backend fleet optimization for the TriMet system. BlackBerry and Windows Phone users can look forward to forthcoming versions of the TriMet Tickets app, and for a quick overview, you'll find a tutorial video after the break.
Shopify's integrated retail platform merges online and in-store sales (video)
Mobile payment options like Square have been a boon to small business owners, and now Shopify is looking to expand the potential of point of sale systems with its new platform. The company is branching out from its online retail roots by offering a way to merge in-store and internet sales with a combined inventory system. Shop owners can choose which items they want to sell online or in their brick and mortar stores, while the POS app synchronizes the process. Additionally, Shopify comes with an iPad-compatible credit card reader, email receipts and detailed analytics. If you're in the market for an integrated retail system, the expanded hardware kit might be worth checking out; it includes a cash drawer, iPad stand and receipt printer. For more information, check out the video after the break.
Chase goes all in on Isis, announces plans for nationwide rollout
We'd hardly call Isis a juggernaut, but the would-be Google Wallet-slayer is certainly building steam. After convincing American Express to back it in a nationwide rollout, Chase has decided to hop on the expansion train as well. The mobile payment launch partner is clearly quite happy with how pilot programs in Austin, Texas and Salt Lake City, Utah went. Soon enough holders of Chase Freedom, Sapphire and Slate cards, along with those special people in possession of a JPMorgan Palladium card will be able to load their accounts into the Isis Mobile Wallet app and tap to pay at retail locations across the nation. Of course, if you're part of the one percent, walking around with your Palladium card, chances are you probably don't wander into to Walgreens to pick up your own Gold Bond Medicated Foot Powder very often anyway.
Isis Mobile Wallet teams up with American Express for nationwide rollout
Isis is gearing up to expand its Mobile Wallet service nationwide in the coming months, but its plans don't end there. The company has just announced that it's teaming up with American Express to bring the latter's Serve platform to Isis Mobile Wallet. Serve account holders will be able to make use of most of the features they already expect from Amex, like loading cash to their accounts, paying bills electronically and adding funds via direct deposit. By joining up with Isis, Serve is now unlocking the Mobile Wallet's capabilities, like NFC-powered payments at participating retail locations. Though Isis is currently limited to Austin and Salt Lake City, the company -- now with Amex on its side -- hopes to reach customers coast to coast before the year is out, though we don't have a specific date for availability just yet. For more info, check out the press release after the break.
OpenTable for iPhone to begin testing mobile payments
OpenTable is already the most popular restaurant-reservation system in the world, and now the company is planning a new twist -- mobile payments for your meals from its namesake app (free). Matthew Roberts, chief executive of OpenTable, told the New York Times' Brian X. Chen that the payment process will be straightforward and is currently in testing. Once a meal is completed, a diner would open the app, review the check, add a tip and then approve the payment. For restaurants, the mobile payment service would be a boon, as it provides another reason for diners to use the app and come to the restaurant. OpenTable won't take a cut of the transaction, although they already charge restaurants for reservations made through the service in addition to an equipment service charge. The company's pilot program is being tested in 20 restaurants, and there are some kinks to work out. For example, paying with an app means that a diner may just get up and leave, in which case the waiter might think the diner is skipping the check. OpenTable is looking at ways to notify the restaurant workers so they don't go chasing diners out of a building.
OpenTable sees mobile payments on the horizon, first in San Francisco
Adventurous foodies are likely familiar with the concept of snout to tail dining, which incorporates the entire animal -- even the exotic bits -- into recipes that stray from the norm. Soon enough, OpenTable may offer a different take on start-to-finish dining by incorporating payments into its restaurant reservation platform. The system is said to still be in testing, which would require that diners merely open the OpenTable app, select a tip amount and hit the payment button. As a boon to restaurant owners, OpenTable isn't planning on taking a cut from the transaction; instead, it's looking to attract and retain users, and perhaps stay ahead of emerging competitors such as Groupon and Yelp. According to The New York Times, OpenTable will use an in-house payment system that it acquired this year from JustChalo. If all goes well, the new feature will be introduced to San Francisco by year's end, with other markets to follow. Apparently, OpenTable is still hammering out its notification system, so as to avoid unpleasant scenarios such as accusing paying customers of skipping out on the bill.
Isis announces national deployment coming later this year
Last time we heard from Isis, the aspiring mobile payments collaboration between three US wireless carriers, its CEO Michael Abbott wasn't willing to discuss the company's future plans in specific terms. Three months appear to make all the difference, however: Isis is almost ready to expand beyond its trial runs in Salt Lake City and Austin, and the service will be rolling out from coast to coast later this year. The company isn't giving any more specific details regarding timing or new Isis-compatible devices (there are currently 35 of them spread across Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile), although it's planning to enable the service on BlackBerry and Windows Phone devices later this year as well. The press release will serve up all the details after the break.
Starbucks gets increasingly digital, 10 percent of transactions made by phone
Counting out nickels and dimes at the cash register as you pay for your overpriced coffee is quickly becoming fodder for back-in-my-day stories. Ever since Starbucks debuted Square Wallet payments last November, the pay-by-phone approach has proved to be a popular strategy. According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, mobile purchases now account for 10 percent of the chain's transactions, a number higher than many would have expected. Considering that Starbucks announced yesterday that it would soon introduce wireless charging to a handful of locations in Silicon Valley, it looks like the company is determined to build its growing street tech cred.
Dash wants you to pay your happy hour tab with your iPhone
Alternative payment methods seem to be all the rage these days, from retailer-specific virtual cards that can be loaded with currency to the movement to make NFC-based payment kiosks an option at retailers. As VentureBeat reports, New York's Dash wants to do things a bit differently and by targeting eateries and bars, it may have a good chance to carve out its own niche. The Dash app for iPhone allows patrons of participating bars and restaurants to view, split and pay their tabs without ever reaching for a purse or wallet. The system has the added benefit of keeping you from having to wave down a waiter or waitress when you're ready to hit the road -- but food service workers don't have to worry about missing a tip, as Dash has a built-in feature for that as well. It's a novel idea, but since getting restaurants nationwide to jump on board isn't easy, Dash is starting with New York City, where the company claims it already has over 50 bars and food joints on its list. Dash is slated to hit the App Store in August, and if things go well, the company is ready to expand to cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Miami.
Portland's TriMet ushers in mobile ticketing for smartphones
Not all of Portland, Oregon is dreaming of the '90s. As proof of that, the region's transit system, TriMet, is taking a step into the future by launching the beta test of an electronic ticketing system that lets riders purchase fares from their smartphones. The ambitious effort extends to all of TriMet's major operations, which includes city busses, the MAX light rail, the WES commuter rail and the Portland Streetcar. As it stands, 150 participants will take part in the beta trial before the program opens to all riders later this summer. The push toward modernization is made possible by a Portland-based company, GlobeSherpa, which has developed a payment system and ticket validation app that also allows for fleet optimization and provides service alerts to riders. Currently, the TriMet app is available for Android and iOS, but GlobeSherpa tells us that it'll deliver future versions for BlackBerry and Windows Phone. Hit up the break for a peek at what's in store for The City of Roses.
Square Stand turns your iPad into a cash register, on pre-order for $299
Square just announced a new product meant to replace traditional point-of-service systems: the aptly named Square Stand. The hardware turns an iPad (2 or 3; support for the Lightning connector is coming later this year) into an all-in-one POS with an integrated card reader that accepts cash, plastic and Square Wallet payments. Available for pre-order today, the stand will set business owners back a rather steep $299, but the sleek design has a decidedly smaller footprint than the cash registers of yore, and it offers merchants real-time analytics for tracking sales via the Square Register app. Of course, if you want the full retail setup, you'll still have to spring for Square's receipt printer, barcode scanner and cash drawer. Though the Square Stand won't be available until July 8th, several merchants throughout the country, including Cafe Grumpy in New York City and Morelli's Ice Cream in Atlanta, will be operating the device starting tomorrow. And given Square's partnership with Starbucks, we wouldn't be surprised if the system soon shows up at the coffee chain as well.
PayPal's new Android SDK offers multiple in-app payment options
PayPal just announced a new Android SDK for developers. Previously released for iOS, the kit lets app devs integrate mobile payments via both PayPal and credit card. As the mockup above demonstrates, it's very straightforward -- and we're pretty sure that's the point. The SDK will support Android 2.2 (Froyo) and up when it becomes available to US developers on May 15th.
Square believes it can trump Foursquare in the local recommendations game
Square collects a lot of store info by virtue of its payment business, so you'd think it would be great at recommending where to shop. And you may soon be right, according to the company's Ajit Varma. While he doesn't have a schedule, he tells The Verge that Square will eventually customize its directory to suggest hot or newly opened stores based on our spending habits. Varma even believes that his company could beat Foursquare in the local recommendations field, and it's easy to see why when Square knows that we're willing to buy, not just that we've entered a given store. Of course, this is all contingent on both a ubiquitous Square presence and consumerist intentions. Foursquare is entirely willing to point us to both free landmarks as well as stores without Square readers, so it's doubtful that the two services will ever completely overlap.
Rogers clears Suretap NFC payments on some Android and BlackBerry 10 devices
While Canadians got a major NFC payment system through Rogers' Suretap service late last year, it was largely defined by what it couldn't do: there was only one platform to use, in only some places, with only one bank. Those horizons are at last broadening, as the carrier just certified a much wider range of phones for Suretap-capable apps. Android at last joins the party with approval for Suretap use on LG's Optimus G, as well as Samsung's Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II. BlackBerry fans also won't have to cling to older devices now that the Z10 is good to go. More than a few pieces of the NFC puzzle are still missing, of course. Beyond waiting for the apps themselves, there's no certification for Windows Phone 8 or a broad range of Android devices, and customers still don't have the freedom to choose their banks or carriers. Still, we're glad that there will be at least some choice in hardware for future wallet-free trips to Tim Hortons.
Walmart extends iPhone scan-and-checkout feature
Walmart is expanding its Scan & Go checkout feature to over 200 stores, up from the current 70, according to Reuters. Scan & Go allows Walmart shoppers to scan items in the store with the Walmart iPhone app and then pay for them at self-checkout terminals. The pilot program began in Arkansas stores in September 2012. According to Retuers, new markets that will feature Scan & Go inlcude Denver, Colo.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Omaha, Neb.; Dallas and Austin, Texas; Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Okla.; Wyoming; Bozeman, Mont.; Seattle, Wash.; San Jose, Calif.; and Portland, Ore. It's important to note that Scan & Go does not allow a user to pay for items through the iPhone app. From the Reuter's report: "Shoppers scan bar codes on items they want to buy, using the Walmart app on their iPhone, iPod touch or iPad to keep track of the planned purchases and the total cost. Then they pay at a self-checkout screen, bypassing the typical registers." The Walmart app is a free download.
FTC report on mobile payments raises concerns about 'cramming' on carrier billing
The FTC held a workshop on mobile payments last year, and it's now followed that up with a full report that raises a few concerns and offers some recommendations for the industry. Those include the expected issues of privacy and security, which the FTC encourages companies to step up their efforts on, as well as the issue of billing disputes. On that latter front, the FTC draws attention to one problem in particular known as "cramming," in which companies or individuals place fraudulent charges on a user's cellphone bill. As the FTC notes in the report, "there are no federal statutory protections governing consumer disputes about fraudulent or unauthorized charges placed on mobile carrier bills," and it further adds in a blog post that "the way mobile carrier billing works makes this a challenging problem to solve." It goes on to outline some consumer protection measures it says all carriers should adopt, and notes that it will further address the issue at a roundtable on May 8th. You can find the full report at the source link.
PayPal co-founder Max Levchin returns to online payments with Affirm
Curious what Max Levchin's been up to ever since he left Google in 2011? Well, wonder no more. Today, PayPal's co-founder revealed his return to the payment world with a new company called Affirm. Like many startups, Affirm is looking to make online payments quicker and easier, but the real question is whether you'll be willing to come along for the ride. AllThingsD managed to catch Levchin for an interview, in which he revealed that Affirm will issue credit to consumers and guarantee payment to merchants for all online transactions. Curiously, Affirm will use Facebook to verify a user's identity, and it'll also use a wide range of social and location-based data to determine an individual's credit worthiness. The payment startup will launch in beta with 1-800-Flowers as its partner, and it's said that consumers will be given 30 days to settle the resulting bill with Affirm. There's no word of what fees or interest rates will be assessed for late payments, but we imagine you'll find strong incentive to pay for that flower arrangement.
Visa and Samsung ink worldwide NFC deal, practically guarantees payWave on your Galaxy S IV
First, the good news. It appears that Visa and Samsung's Olympics trial went over so well, that it's expanding those mobile payment dreams to a global audience. Now, the rough news -- Visa has convinced Samsung to pre-load the payWave app onto every future Samsung smartphone with an NFC module. Granted, you'd be using that anyway for contactless payments... but only if you had a Visa card. At this point, it's practically a given that the impending Galaxy S IV will boast not only an NFC chip, but payWave integration from the factory. The deal also gives banks the ability to load payment account information over-the-air to a secure chip embedded in Samsung devices (thanks, Mobile Provisioning Service), but neither company is coming clean on what devices in particular will be taking advantage. Unfortunately, this news may be even gloomier for non-Visa users -- it's unlikely Samsung's contract will allow it to announce similar deals with competing mobile payment services, but we suppose we'll see in time.
PayPal Here coming to the UK with a chip reader to match (video)
US-born mobile payment methods like PayPal Here and Square haven't had much traction in Europe, due in no small part to the continent's frequent reliance on chip-and-PIN credit cards over North America's (slowly outgoing) magnetic stripes. PayPal is getting around that technical barrier through the most direct method possible -- replacing the reader altogether. PayPal Here's UK deployment swaps out the triangular US reader for a considerably bulkier Bluetooth peripheral that takes the newer payment method. Other elements will be familiar to anyone who's used Here on an Android or iOS device in another country, minus the obligatory changes in currency. In other news today, PayPal also snapped up Paydiant, the company that powers mobile wallets for retailers like Walmart and Target. PayPal is partnering with a handful of UK businesses before launching Here on a wider scale in the summer -- not soon enough for some, but it might save a few Brits from scrounging through their wallets just to buy some ice cream.
