How Fast Will Mobile Payments Really Grow?
Mobile payments are going to reach $1 billion in transactions by the end of 2013. That sounds like great growth and revenue, until you find out that in October 2012 mobile payments were expected to reach $20 billion by 2015, and are now on track to reach that milestone in 2016. A fragmented market, and many dependent and critical keys to success have stifled the mobile payments market. Hardware and infrastructure impediments, combined with competing technologies like mobile wallet solutions have slowed merchant and consumer adoption to mobile payments.
What do you use mobile payments for? Have you used your mobile POS for more than the morning cup of joe? Most consumers use mobile payment technology for small purchases only, and are slow to transition larger purchases to mobile. This is an indicator that many merchants and consumers are also hesitant to use eGift Cards, and make the necessary POS upgrades to even be able to process them. Have you ever give an eGift? These numbers tend to suggest that employers and gifters across the board would be hesitant to give an eGift given limited market adoption. The market indicators are inconsistent for mobile payments, there is growth but possibly not to the rate originally forecast. What do you think about mobile payments?
See the eMarketer Mobile Payments Forceast for 2011-2017, and
check out this article from eMarketer on further impediments affecting the mobile payments market adoption.
E-Gift Cards, a Popular Tool in Loyalty Programs
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The Prepaid Expo: Adapt or Die
It should be of no surprise that mobile payment was a choice topic at this year’s Prepaid Expo, but as purveyors of the B2B portion of retail sales; how will we get to mobile payment? Retailers and merchants are living (or about to live) the latest technology and game changing concepts about the consumer waving their mobile device to pay. But the B2B portion of the market still has major issues to overcome. The questions that the Prepaid Expo asks ring loud in order to capture consumers and also ring true for your B2B customers and subsequent end-consumers: What will be frictionless in your environment? What will bring the greatest value? What will be the best authentication? What's the best way to reduce cost? How do you make prepaid product more relevant and valuable to cardholder before, during, after the payment transaction? Interesting quote from Bill Gates about the future: "We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten."--Bill Gates Mobile buying is inevitable, but are you considering B2B gift card sales in your mobile prepaid strategy? If not, when will you shape your change? Read up on the
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eGift Cards: On the Rise, But How are They Perceived by B2B Buyers?
eGift and mobile gift cards are a popular topic as excitement grows around digital technologies. CreditCards.com reports that one half of the major gift card brands that offer eGift cards only started offering them this year. Retailers and merchants are ramping up to take advantage of growing mobile and tablet buying segments, as they are quickly becoming some of the most valuable online shoppers. Interestingly, when GCP recently surveyed B2B gift card buyers; we found that the B2B market still prefers to purchase physical plastic cards over