Tag: MasterCard

Survey highlights the growth of mobile shopping in China and elsewhere

MasterCard has released the results of a new survey concerning mobile commerce in China. Consumers throughout China have been growing more interested in shopping from their mobile devices and are beginning to use their smartphones and tablets to purchase products more often. Many consumers consider mobile shopping to be very convenient and ideal for their current circumstances. This is especially true among people that commute often as mobile commerce allows them to purchase products from wherever they are and have these products delivered to their homes.

Nearly 100% of Chinese respondents have made a mobile purchase in the past three months

According to the survey from MasterCard, mobile commerce has been growing quickly throughout the Asian-Pacific region. Thailand, South Korea, and India boast of impressive results when it comes to the number of people participating in mobile shopping and payments. The survey shows, however, that nearly 100% of the respondents in China have said that they have made at least one online purchase from a mobile device in t he past three months. Approximately 59% of these consumers noted that they made a purchase with a smartphone.

Retailers help power the growth of mobile shopping

The survey attributes the growth of mobile shopping in China to the efforts that several retailers have made to engage mobile consumers. Alibaba and Tencent, for example, have launched aggressive campaigns to attract the attention of these consumers. Using their Alipay and WeChat applications, these companies have managed to establish a dominant position in the mobile field. Smaller retailers have also been working to accommodate the needs of mobile consumers by embracing mobile payments more readily.

China is likely to retain its lead as a prominent mobile commerce market

China is expected to be a leading mobile commerce market well into the future, followed closely by Thailand and South Korea. As smartphone penetration continues to rise throughout the Asian-Pacific region, the number of people shopping online from their mobile devices is expected to continue growing. Tablets are also beginning to establish a reputation among consumers in this region as one of the best mobile shopping platforms currently available.

The MasterCard service is now going to add in-application purchases to its offerings.

MasterCard has just announced that its MasterPass mobile payments wallet will be available for making in-app purchases as well as the already existent option for merchants to embed the transaction type into their e- and mcommerce websites.

This announcement was made by the credit card giant in Barcelona at the Mobile World Congress.

Among the very first to use this new in-app mobile payments opportunity from MasterCard are Major League Baseball and Starbucks Australia. By bringing the smartphone wallet to applications, the company is acknowledging that consumers are shopping with their favorite retailers through branded retail apps on an increasing basis. This is the case whether those shoppers are on the go or actually within the store, itself.

As MasterCard recognized this trend, it only made sense to ensure that its mobile payments were compatible with it.

The senior vice president and group head, U.S. emerging payments lead at MasterCard, Purchase, New York, Mario Shiliashki, explained that as a growing number of consumers shop at retailer locations by way of mobile apps or with applications and browsers combined, it has been very important for the company’s offerings to adapt. He added that it is common for smartphone using consumers to find the experience from a dedicated app to be more appealing.

Therefore, by allowing MasterPass transactions to be available in stores, on websites, and in apps, Shiliashki feels that it will help to enhance the complete shopping experience. Providing compatibility with its mobile wallet in applications means that consumers will be able to choose the experience that they feel is the most appealing, relevant, and appropriate for their own needs. He also stated that it has allowed the company to bring the online and in store experience closer together.

The appeal for consumers to choose mobile payments through MasterPass instead of paying with credit cards and other means through each individual retail application is that it allows a transaction to be securely completed from one wallet, without having to provide payment data with numerous different merchant application providers.