Within the last five years, mobile payments have not only become popular, but are also being positioned as the new norm in the payments industry. With our money at the tips of our fingers (literally), we are able to pay a friend, family member, or merchant through smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices. It’s estimated in 2020 that over 90 percent of smartphone users will have made at least one mobile payment in their life. With this outstanding rate of technologically savvy consumers, it’s no wonder merchants are focusing on more efficient ways to create a seamless experience for their business and clients.
What is considered a Mobile Payment?
If you have paid for a good or service through the use of your smartphone, tablet, or any other electronic device, you have made a mobile payment.
Some popular types of mobile payments include:
- Mobile Wallets - Have you gone into Target to purchase goods with the use of Apple Pay? Or maybe you’ve gone to your favorite local spot to grab food and paid with your phone. If you have, then you’ve utilized your mobile wallets to purchase a desired good or service. Popular mobile wallets include: Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay.
- SMS Payments - An efficient way to process a payment is through text to pay. The consumer simply sends an SMS message out to the service provider they would like to pay and in turn they will receive a code to confirm the payment.
- Point of Sale Payments - Most places of business now have a point of sale (POS) payment device where you can quickly place your phone up to the device reader and it will scan it automatically. This creates a faster and smoother payment process that will help the consumer get the good or service more quickly and in turn helps the merchant process more payments and create more revenue. If you are looking to accept mobile payments within your software, learn more about our Global Payments Integrated Mobile solutions.
- Mobile Payment Apps - The Starbucks app, which is currently the most widely used mobile payment app, is utilized by going into the store or drive through and then scanning the barcode attached to your app, all while earning points that will lead to future Starbucks perks. Additional apps such as Venmo and PayPal are widely utilized to ease the effort in paying a peer or family member, and only take seconds to send or request the desired amount through the use of the app.
Benefits of Mobile Payments
Convenience - In this digital age, consumers are clinging tighter to their digital devices and less to physical wallets. Consumers no longer have to worry if they forget their wallet as their payment method is stored directly on their smartphone or other digital device. It’s very convenient for a consumer to avoid fumbling around for spare change, and instead have the exact amount prepared with a touch of their fingertips and a swipe of a barcode. Using mobile payments for parking or at a vending machine are a couple of examples.
Security - Mobile payments provide an extra layer of security in regards to the traditional credit card. It is tougher for hackers to obtain personal credit card information from mobile wallets and apps since they typically utilize encryption and security codes. In addition, if a physical card is stolen or lost, it is easy to replicate or record the personal credit card information, whereas a smartphone typically has a password or touch ID in order to access secure information.
Rewards - When using mobile apps to make a purchase, such as the Starbucks app, there are typically options for rewards. Most rewards provide incentives, such as purchasing a new item on the menu to earn extra points, and then points are used for a free item or extra percentages off of the next purchase.
Partnering with the Most Effective Mobile Payment Solution
Due to mobile payments continuing to grow in popularity, Global Payments Integrated, a division of Global Payments, created a cutting-edge mobile solution to address a multitude of customer mobility payments needs. The integrated solution is EdgeExpress Mobile, which provides a complete mobile payment solution combined with industry-leading security. Additionally, Global Payments Integrated has recently released its Mobile SDK that will help drive adoption of partners’ software delivery in iOS and Android environments including easy setup and implementation of integrated payments acceptance for merchant customers.
EdgeExpress Mobile Delivers:
- Secure, encrypted EMV offering that isolates cardholder data from the mobile device
- Light footprint for quick implementation
- Low maintenance solution with auto updates
- Flexibility to conform to various software environments
- Increased EMV transaction speeds for faster checkout process
Features include:
- EMV®
- Signature capture
- Emailed receipts
- Tip configuration
- Decline Minimizer
- Tokenization
- End-to-end encryption
- Support for mobile wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay
Conclusion
According to research conducted by Reuters, in the year 2021, global mobile point-of-sale revenue is expected to reach nearly $50 billion (from just $6.6 billion in 2016). Due to the drastic increase in mobile payment usage, it’s clear that the new way to pay is mobile. With the convenience and ease of holding your smartphone over the point-of-sale terminal to pay, it’s clear to see why consumers are gravitating towards mobile instead of more traditional ways to make a payment. Contact us today to learn more about our mobile solution.
Mackenzie Miller
Business Development Marketing Specialist
