mobilepayment
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Square intros flat-rate payment option at $275 per month, hits small business sweet spot
Square is most often pitched as heaven for small businesses, but that 2.75 percent cut per transaction is sometimes a problem for stores that are too successful. Enter a new flat rate option. Shops that don't take more than $250,000 a year in Square payments, or charge more than $400 in a given sale, can instead pay a flat $275 per month regardless of how many swipes they take. The deal makes the most sense for businesses handling more than $120,000 a year through the reader, establishing a definite limit to its usefulness; this isn't exactly for a budding jeweler (or Starbucks). Even so, the simplicity of the rate might be very alluring for companies that aren't keen on surprise costs or working out the math, and it's a contrast to the half-steps towards flat rates taken by VeriFone and other, more traditional outlets going mobile.
Dunkin Donuts launches mobile pay app
Coffee drinkers who prefer Dunkin Donuts to Starbucks will be happy to know that DD now has its own mobile app. The app lets customers pay for food, drinks and other merchandise using their iPhone. Customers can add money to the virtual card using a credit card, debit card or Paypal. When they are ready to pay for their items, customers only have to tap the card inside the app and show the bar code to the cashier. Besides a mobile payment option, the Dunkin Donuts app lets customers send virtual gift cards called mGifts to friends and family via a text message, email or Facebook. If you're not comfortable using the app to pay for goods, you can always use it to find your local Dunkin Donuts shop. You can also view the nutrition information for various donuts and muffins the donut shop sells. Customers can download the Dunkin Donuts app for free from the iOS App Store.
London Underground: NFC mobile payment technology 'too slow' for the tube
While it's tested the idea several times in the past, London's Tube system won't be getting mobile-based payment technology any time soon. Customer Experience Director Shashi Verma told GigaOM that existing NFC technology wasn't able to drop below the 500 millisecond barrier -- something which Transport for London demands from its high-churn Oyster card-based turnstiles. Verma added, "The concerns are only around NFC technology and not EMV. We are keen to see any progress the industry can make in this area." At least for the near-future, it looks like Brits will have to glue their NFC cards to their phones if they want that contactless payment look while journeying around London.
T-Mobile talking to Google about mobile payments in Europe as well, keeps playing the field
The good ship T-Mobile isn't staying anchored in any one port for mobile payments: just hours after the ink started drying on a deal with MasterCard for NFC, the carrier's parent company Deutsche Telekom has confirmed to Bloomberg that it's been talking with Google as well. While Deutsche Telekom's innovation lead Thomas Kiessling hasn't said more about a pact beyond its being "theoretically possible," it's not hard to do the math and picture Google Wallet coming into the equation if discussions go smoothly. Google won't go so far as to comment on its own -- not that the silence is stopping the would-be German partner, which is also chatting up banks and individual credit card firms to make sure everything falls into place. If it pans out, a Google alliance would certainly help T-Mobile fend off competition from Orange in Europe and give Google Wallet some much-needed support.
MasterCard and T-Mobile to bring NFC payments to Europe in Q3 (video)
Poland and Germany could be the next two countries to get smartphone payments, powered by MasterCard and Deutsche Telekom. The SIM-based NFC solution will utilize the US bank's ClickandBuy service for processing and will be available to T-Mobile customers, rolling out to Poland in Q3 of this year and Germany in 2013. This latest partnership comes on the heels of Vodafone's pairing with Visa, which is also said to be making a push for the German market. What remains to be seen is whether or not there is in fact a demand for mobile payments -- the technology has yet to take off in the US, despite an influx of funding and infrastructure from MasterCard and Google. NFC is no doubt the future of cashless transactions, but it likely remains a few years away from hitting the mainstream, with compatible devices still limited, on both the customer and retail fronts. Hit up the links below for a closer look at DT's push to conquer the European market, one NFC-equipped SIM card at a time. Then jump past the break for a quick intro, compliments of Deutsche Telekom CEO Rene Obermann and MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga (the two seemingly random gentlemen that you may have noticed above as well).
Square now available at Walgreens, Staples and FedEx Office
While a roster of competitors are trying to get their foot in the mobile payments door, Square's busy getting a foothold in retail stores. With Walgreens, Staples and FedEx Office locations now carrying the credit card reader, it's available at more than 20,000 physical shops throughout the US -- joining Apple, Best Buy, OfficeMax, Radio Shack, Target, UPS and Wal-Mart. Bringing it home from a brick and mortar establishment will set you back $9.95, but Square's sweetening the pot with a $10 rebate for new users. However, if your entrepreneurial snail mail-loving heart desires, you can still have one mailed to you by signing up online. Eager to start swiping plastic? Lookout below for the full press release.
iCache Geode claims title of first shipping iPhone e-wallet, asks 'who needs NFC?'
Apple has been sending mixed signals as to whether or not it will bring NFC to the iPhone for mobile payments, but iCache clearly isn't waiting for the technology to show its face -- the company just started shipping its Geode e-wallet. As we saw just a few weeks ago, the Geode simply rolls existing credit and debit cards into a proxy GeoCard that's scanned at the store to handle transactions. Although it demands a specially-made case with an e-paper screen and fingerprint reader, not to mention an app to manage the attached cards, the choice lets an iPhone owner buy goods at all the usual places instead of having to hunt down special terminals. We like the one-card universe it creates, although it's clear the shopper has to carry a lot of the responsibility for making this digital payment dream a reality: at $200 a pop, the Geode's wallet-slimming effect carries a premium, especially since it won't work with anything besides an iPhone 4 or 4S.
PayPal mobile payments hit the UK, filling your closet just went wireless (video)
PayPal's mobile payments have been on a whirlwind American tour this year, but they haven't had a chance to cross the border so far. Someone must have finally stamped the company's passport, since it's now an option for UK residents to pay using the InStore app for Android or iOS. A trio of fashion outlets -- Coast, Oasis and Warehouse -- can soon scan an on-screen barcode to take payment for that posh new shirt instead of requiring ye olde wallet. As it is in the US, there's no need for any NFC magic or even an Internet connection to clinch the deal, and there's still the same access to discounts and refunds as for paper- and plastic-wielding buyers. A total of 230 shops will take your PayPal credit starting May 31st, although they won't stop your potential fashion mistakes.
PayPal lines up 15 retailers for mobile payments, will let you buy Jamba Juice smoothies with a smartphone
Although PayPal's mobile payment system started out small with a Home Depot deal, that snowball is quickly rolling itself into a boulder. Starting next month, 15 extra US retailers will be happy to see you slap down your smartphone (not literally, we hope) instead of a credit card. The selection leads us to think a lot of smartphone owners like to shop for wearables -- Aéropostale, Foot Locker and JC Penney are in the batch, along with others -- but there's a few useful exceptions, like Barnes & Noble, Jamba Juice and TigerDirect. At least a total of 20 merchants are expected by the end of year, and as with Home Depot, you won't need special hardware besides an Android or iOS device to spend your hard-earned cash. We'll just be thankful we won't have to buy our yogurt with actual cash, like savages.
Rogers and CIBC make joint deal for NFC mobile payments in Canada, let you check out with your BlackBerry
Canadians sometimes can't catch a break: while NFC payments have been relatively common for Americans, Europeans and certainly the Japanese, Canucks have had to largely make do paying with ye olde credit carde. Rogers and national bank CIBC want to put an end to these antediluvian ways: starting later this year, CIBC card holders will just need to swipe an NFC-equipped BlackBerry like the Bold 9900 (Bold 9930 for CDMA-loving Americans) at a matching terminal to pay at a given store. The only special requirement is a secure SIM card that gives customers the freedom to change phones, even if it does create problems switching banks or carriers down the line. We're just hoping that Android and other platforms get the same treatment and let more of our Canadian friends pay for poutine that much faster.
Isis bolsters its mobile wallet with American Express cards
The carrier-backed Isis mobile payment service added a batch of new financial partners earlier this year, and it's now back with another fairly big addition. The venture announced today that it has brought American Express' various credit card offerings into the fold (including the company's own mobile-linked Serve cards), which will let users of those cards load them into the Isis app and make payments with their NFC-equipped smartphone -- when the service begins its rollout this summer, that is. As you may recall, American Express itself had already signed on as an Isis partner last year, but this is the first time that the company has committed to tying its cards to the platform -- which is a rather important little detail.
PayPal and Softbank announce new joint venture in Japan, mobile app
PayPal has joined forces with Softbank to bring its mobile payment system / digital wallet to Japan. PayPal Here uses an encrypted card reader -- like its BFF Square, and more recently, VeriFone -- to minimize users' cash dependency. There's also a redesigned app that makes it easier for customers to locate participating merchants while they're out and about. The $25 million joint venture targets small businesses, especially those using iPhones (though it also works just fine on Android), and will be made available to the Japanese masses over the next several weeks. We're sure the setup will be used exclusively by the forces of good to stimulate the local economy.
VeriFone outs Sail mobile payment system, gives Square the evil eye
VeriFone has decided that calling out claimed security holes and focusing on enterprise-level payment options aren't enough to take on Square. Sail goes more directly for Square's jugular, using its own plug-in dongle to handle major credit card payments in your local coffee shop or a mid-sized outlet. The VeriFone party trick comes through having multiple payment options, where shopkeeps can either choose to pay a flat 2.7 percent cut of every sale, or shell out a $10 monthly fee to lower the transactional take to 1.95 percent. Programming interfaces will let you hook in deals from social networks, too. And as you might expect, the company is still keen to tie Sail to its traditional payment systems, opening the door to NFC readers as well as other payment hardware that isn't quite as mobile. Stores with iPhones will be the only ones using the free Sail mobile apps and readers at first, but Android- and iPad-toting entrepreneurs will have their alternative to Square or PayPal Here as soon as the end of May.
AllThingsD looks at Paypal's new payments app
AllThingsD reporter Lauren Goode spent some time shopping with both Pay with Square and PayPal's new mobile payment app. The two solutions are one of several up-and-coming mobile payment platforms competing for your virtual wallet. Overall, Goode concluded that paying with the PayPal app was "relatively quick and painless." Not surprisingly, she noted that the biggest hindrance to either solution is the lack of merchants who are willing to offer mobile payments. It's still too new of a technology to go mainstream, at least right now. You can read the full comparison at AllThingsD's website.
Intuit GoPayment goes live in Canada, more rectangular than Square
Looks like Canada just scored another mobile credit card payment system within its borders. It was back at CES when Intuit revealed its updated GoPayment dongle for our neighbors up north, and now the company's announced that the service has officially launched in the region. Once you're application is approved, you'll get the card reader for free without any contract -- and best of all, GoPayment works on a "pay-as-you-go" basis (3.3 percent if you enter the digits, 2.7 percent with a swipe). It's currently purposed for iDevices with a free downloadable app, accepting Visa and Mastercards, but Intuit notes that Android and BlackBerry compatibility is in the works. With services NetSecure and PayPal also claiming space in the country, we're still left to wonder when Square -- essentially the godfather of this type of thing -- will finally be joining the card-swiping party in the great white north. If you're curious for all the details or wanting to apply for yourself, head on down to the source link below. [Thanks, Mike]
Mobile Miscellany: week of April 2nd, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, CyanogenMod gained a new logo, Google acquired a mobile payments company and we learned that the HTC EVO 4G LTE for Sprint will include an embedded SIM card. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of April 2nd, 2012.
ARM seeks better security for connected devices, teams up with Gemalto and Giesecke & Devrient
ARM is famous for its low-power chip designs, Gemalto is known for its NFC security features, and Giesecke & Devrient brings some nice nano-SIM notoriety to the table. As a trio, these companies want to push forward a security standard that could be readily used in a wide range of web-connected devices, including tablets, smart TVs, game consoles and smartphones. The standard itself is built on ARM's TrustZone hardware-based security, which has been around for a while and is built into every ARM Cortex-A series processor, but which still isn't as widely used as it could be. By founding an off-shoot company with its partners, ARM hopes to nudge the things along faster and turn TrustZone into the "Blu-ray" of mobile security standards.
Bump Pay lets you tap a friend for cash
Taking cues from an ING Direct app that used its API, Bump Technologies has developed its own version of the mobile payments software, enabling phone-to-phone "Bump" transactions using PayPal. Yes, PayPal. That minor processing detail aside, the service appears to offer a fun solution for simplifying the fairly painful process of paying the check at group meals, or splitting a tank of gas with a friend. Both you and your bud need to have the app installed before you can beam that green, and there's no option to send payments remotely, though you could always use plain ole vanilla PayPal for that. The app is free, and if you have a checking account linked you won't have to deal with any fees. Bump Pay is iOS only "at launch" (read: it could be making its way to Android as well), so for now you'll need to bump the App Store to get folks paid.
Square gets a few more Chinese clones, Jack Dorsey may or may not be flattered
Never mind what PayPal has just unveiled today -- look at these mobile phone credit card readers from China instead. If you ask Square CEO Jack Dorsey, we're sure he'll have to a thing or two to say about these familiar-looking dongles (and not to mention the various weibo microblogging services that were inspired by Jack's Twitter platform). Coincidentally, all three of these pictures above showed up on Sina Weibo earlier today, albeit from different accounts with very little detail in each post -- we'd like to think they're trying to make a point one after the other. So who's behind these little plastic bricks from the Far East?Starting from the left (courtesy of Xiaomi Vice President Li Wanqiang) we have Lakala, a well-known Chinese payment service provider whose POS terminals are featured in major supermarkets and convenience stores. We spoke to the company's CEO Sun Taoran who assured us that this is a booming business in China, as credit cards are more popular than you'd expect these days (most large eateries, supermarkets and even karaoke bars in domestic cities will happily accept them); and of course, he'd certainly want a slice of that massive smartphone pie over there. The Beijing-based company also said its dongle will function even without a phone client installed, but it wouldn't further elaborate at this point. Expect to see Lakala's product launch in May.
Square takes on New York taxis with new iPad-based payment system
Anyone who finds themselves in a New York taxi over the next few weeks stands a slim chance of getting their hands on Square's latest experiment. As The New York Times reports, the company will soon begin rolling out the first phase of its new mobile payment system for taxis, which will see 30 cabs equipped with an iPad encased in a metal housing that also includes a credit card reader. That will let folks swipe their card, sign their name on the screen with their finger, and then receive a receipt on their phone either by text or email; taxi drivers are also able to interact with the system, dubbed "Checker," using their own iPhone app. Unfortunately, details beyond that initial roll out remain a bit light, although Square is happy to point out that the system is completely silent and offers no other distractions.
