The payment processing industry has seen rapid change in recent years. During this evolution, one of the most noteworthy trends that has emerged is mobile payment. We believe mobile payments will replace traditional wallets altogether one day soon. Studies indicate that by 2025, 75% of payments will be cashless. What this tells us is that mobile payments aren’t just a trend anymore. They are the convenient and near future of payment processing.
What are mobile payments exactly?
Mobile payment, also called mobile money or mobile wallet, is exactly what it sounds like. It involves using your mobile phone to pay for a bill instead of using a credit or debit card. Whenever you use your phone to pay for something, that’s mobile payment in action.
What platforms offer mobile payments?
Platforms that offer mobile payments are called digital wallets. Device-based digital wallets use near field communication (NFC) technology to allow consumers to make purchases with a wave of their phone near a contactless reader.
The most prevalent digital wallets include Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay and, an oldie but goodie, PayPal. As their names suggest, these digital wallets were developed by Apple, Google, and Samsung respectively, for use on their branded devices. PayPal has been around for a while as an internet-based digital wallet, but in 2016, the company developed an app that allows users to tap their phone to complete a transaction.
Why are mobile payments the future?
Ride the bus, sit in a café, grab a drink. What do all these scenarios have in common? People on their phones. As a society, we are glued to our mobile devices. The average adult interacts with their smartphone 65 times a day!
This is why mobile payments are the future. We never go anywhere without our phones. They are a part of us, and a much more convenient option for payment than carrying around a physical wallet. No more digging through your purse to extract your wallet or totting around a bulky wallet in your back pocket. No more scrabbling to find the right card or panicking when you lose a card.
Not only are mobile payments easier, they are also more secure. Your smartphone has a lot more barriers to entry than a simple wallet. In addition, if you do lose your phone, you can wipe your data remotely using cloud technology.
For small businesses, adapting a mobile payment system is a smart move. Not only is it easier for your customers, but it is also easier for your business. By getting on top of the trend and adapting mobile payment proactively, you will ensure that your business is prepared for the future and your customers’ stay happy.
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