Contents tagged with Mobile Wallets

  • Google's Hands Free payment app lets consumers pay with just their voice

    March 08, 2016
    With Hands Free, consumers can keep their wallets, and their phones, in their pockets.

    In 2015, the payment technology world set its sights on eliminating the physical wallet from the point-of-sale. Apple Pay, eventually joined by Android Pay and Samsung Pay, together tried to replace the wallet and the swipe of a card with the tap of a smartphone. New innovations in wearable technology hinted at a future in which connected accessories and clothing would eliminate the need for even taking your smartphone out of your pocket or purse.

    Now Google is testing a new "Hands Free" app that allows users to pay using nothing but their voice, leaving the hardware (almost) completely out of the equation. 

    The app still relies on the payers' smartphone for its low-power Bluetooth, WiFi and location services, which help it detect and connect to participating stores. But, … more

  • Venmo now supports merchant payments

    February 25, 2016
    Venmo now allows users to pay merchants with just a tap.

    For the first time, consumers now have the option to pay merchants, not just their friends, using PayPal's digital payment app Venmo. Launched on January 27, the feature is currently limited to use within two third-party apps, food delivery service Munchery and events ticket vendor Gametime. But, with services expected to expand soon, these early adopters can offer us a glimpse into how Venmo could change the landscape for in-app payments.

    From a consumer standpoint, here's how the service works: iPhone or Android users who have Venmo installed on their phones will see a Venmo button among the checkout options in compatible apps. Then, with just a tap, they will be able to use whatever payment information they have stored in the app to fund their purchase. For PayPal, this marks a … more

  • How Samsung Pay can help retailers, even if they don't know it yet

    October 08, 2015
    Approximately 90 percent of all retailers can accept Samsung Pay, whether they know it or not.

    As revolutionary as Apple Pay has been in its first year, giving iPhone owners, then Apple Watch wearers, the ability to pay with a wave of their device, it was not without its Achilles heel. For all its innovation, relying on retailers to install new point of sale (POS) hardware limited Apple Pay's adoption, rendering it unable to truly eliminate the wallets from our back pockets. 

    Launched at the end of September, Samsung Pay might finally hit the mark, allowing both users and retailers to better take advantage of a more universal mobile payment system. While Samsung Pay might look little different from Apple Pay, the technology running under the hood is wildly different, and it makes all the difference. 

    Apple Pay uses Near Field Communication (NFC) to pass … more