Since the first mention of mobile payments, the market has been somewhat erratic and difficult to track, as retailers, consumers, transaction processing providers and regulators have gone in all different directions when it comes to adoption and use. However, because more major firms are getting involved in the establishment of infrastructure that can be used to complete these types of payments through more agile point of sale offerings and technologies, the market might be heading toward a level of maturity.
One of the more prominent and promising notes in this story has been Apple Pay, which most experts stated would need to happen before more widespread adoption would take place, given the immense popularity of that manufacturer’s devices and solutions. Retailers and virtually any other entity that handles payments will need to keep abreast of goings-on in the mobile POS arena to ensure that they are converting the maximum volume and diversity of prospects in the coming years.
Relative calm, stability
PYMNTS recently reported that the hype and “noise” surrounding mPOS appear to be quieting as the years go on, and that major announcements from the biggest names in credit card services and device manufacturing are certainly helping matters along. According to the news provider, Apple Pay’s launch was a big driver of maturity and progress in the mobile payments landscape, and others are now working to compete by way of innovation.
For example, the source pointed out that MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga appeared confident in one statement regarding the growing demand and adoption rates within mobile payments.
“Apple is a great brand and so the whole world was talking about Apple Pay for a little while,” Banga affirmed, according to PYMNTS. “But the noise has calmed down, and so [it] will for Samsung Pay and Google, and all the banks are launching their own version, then there’s our MasterPass and Visa Checkout. All of this is because of the fact that this physical/digital world is converging.”
Still, the news provider did note that actual use of Apple Pay and other popular mobile payment options still has a long way to go to compete with more traditional methods such as credit and debit card transaction processing. Regardless, getting a jump on the trend is critical to avoiding disruptions and poor customer engagement, and mPOS terminals should be a priority for retailers today.
How to get there
Mobile Payments Today recently listed some of the more important lessons learned through the first few years of digital currency growth, arguing that companies should be looking for substantive partnerships to get their strategies off the ground. What’s more, the source stated that customized solutions are vital because one size really does not fit all in these situations, and regulators will need to work more closely with businesses to ensure that the standards in place are protective and effective over time.
When firms focus on these types of lessons for their mobile payments and other digital currency endeavors, transformations might be made a bit more smoothly.
