Category: Apps

The U.K. bank has announced the introduction of a considerable update to make the process easier.

Barclays has just announced the latest functionality in its Pingit app, as it is now providing large businesses the opportunity to complete mobile payments through the use of only a cell phone number.

This completely removes the requirement for having to submit any sensitive banking data.

Now, the app makes it possible for retailers, insurance companies, utilities, and other larger organizations to be able to send mobile payments without having to obtain or store the details of debit or credit cards. This is because the File Gateway from Barclays gives them the ability to send funds direction into the individual Pingit accounts. Those are available to both Barclays customers and those who are not.

This new mobile payments opportunity is meant to help to bring convenience, speed, and security.

The Barclays head of U.K. corporate payments, Mike Walters, explained that “Consumers today want quick and convenient ways to receive value.” He went on to add that by using mobile payments, they have a solution that is both rapid and secure for accomplishing that goal, without ever having to share their account numbers with anyone else, including the company from whom they are making the purchase.

Walters also went on to state that when it comes to businesses, there is a rising importance which must be taken into consideration regarding the use of mobile payments as a more mainstream part of their business strategies as a whole. The reason is that it provides them with a long list of different potential benefits, including the reduction of the costs associated with the use of checks, as well as the enhancement of the customer experience.

Consumers are using their devices for a growing number of their daily activities and mobile payments can fit into these tasks quite smoothly. Though the option has been slow to take off in many of the western markets, many experts feel that it will not be long before the use of smartphones as a replacement for plastic cards begins to take off at an explosive rate.

Sharper Image enters into the mobile commerce field for the holiday season

Sharper Image has a long history in specializing in high-tech products, but the retailer is entering into new territory that it has not yet explored. The retailer is set to launch its holiday catalog, which will feature a wide array of innovative gadgetry. While this is nothing new in and of itself, the catalog will be linked to a mobile commerce site, allowing consumers to purchase products they are interested from their smartphones and tablets.

Retailers work to engage mobile consumers

Mobile commerce has become quite popular among retailers, largely due to the success that many companies saw with their mobile commerce initiatives during the 2012 holiday season. Last year, many consumers opted to shop from their mobile devices, taking advantage of special deals being offered by retailers trying to engage the mobile crowd. For many retailers, this led to a sharp increase in revenue, which has encouraged them to continue pursuing mobile commerce aggressively.

Application equipped with image recognition technology

Sharper Image is not content to simply link its holiday catalog to a mobile commerce website, of course. The retailer has also developed an application that will allow consumers to browse, research, and purchase products directly from the catalog using image recognition technology. Each image in the catalog contains a digital watermark that function in a similar fashion to a QR code. When the application registers the watermark, it directs consumers to a particular product page.

Mobile commerce may usher in success for retailers

The application is designed to make the shopping experience more engaging while also leveraging the convenience of mobile commerce. Sharper Image expects that consumers will respond well to the initiative, which may also be a boon for those looking to get their holiday shopping out of the way early. Other companies have similar initiatives in mind, but none are utilizing image recognition technology to promote mobile commerce among consumers.