As this blog has shown, the use of mobile commerce solutions is about much more than just allowing consumers to make purchases on a smartphone or tablet. As these devices become a bigger part of our everyday lives, they have become an important tool for consumers. They help customers find deals and compare prices, before any funds need to be transferred.

According to a new report from BI Intelligence, there are a couple of factors that have caused mobile commerce to expand - mainly mobile catalogs and coupons. We all like to look for a deal, and mobile coupons can affect buying strategies for nearly every purchase. For example, in 2012, 305 billion print and digital consumer packaged goods coupons were distributed in the U.S.

The study found that 41 percent of mobile coupon users have redeemed them at grocery stores. The same number has used them at department stores and 39 percent have done so at clothing stores.

The number of U.S. smartphone users that have used mobile coupons have increased from 7.4 million in 2010 to 29.5 million in 2012. That growth is expected to continue and is projected to top 47 million in 2014.

Businesses of all of kinds can benefit from adding a mobile commerce option to their payment solutions. As consumers evolve, merchants need to keep up or they can run the risk of becoming old-fashioned and getting ignored for a new "hip" shopping option. By partnering with a payment solution provider, any business can take a leap into the 21st century.