Does anyone still remember the first iPhone? I still remember getting my hands on the first model years ago and realized that this was just the start of mobile.
Apps like a gun sound simulator and casual games attracted me from the first moment; that’s ridiculous when we look back how smartphones have impacted our everyday lives.
The mobile payment world is still in its early stages, but everyone’s experimenting with the possibilities. New methods are showing up every month and old payment methods are disappearing.
In less than a decade, mobile has become a force to be reckoned with and a tool for businesses everywhere. Especially now, with Google changing its algorithm to favor mobile-friendly websites for ranking.
Now, site owners who haven’t jumped on the mobile wave are picking up their surf boards up and are getting ready to enjoy the ride. Why do I say that it’s a ride worth enjoying?
Well, some people panicked when Google first announced its April restructuring instead of seeing this change as an opportunity.
We’re in the middle of a great transformation in consumer behavior that was made possible by the introduction of mobile payments. This is going to impact everyone, from banks to retailers, carriers and, of course, our industry.
How many ways can you pay via mobile?
Although paying via mobile has been a viable option for several years now, it’s the launch of Apple Pay that has imprinted the notion on retailers’ retinas everywhere.
In the second quarter of 2014, purchases made over mobile increased by 48 percent, amounting to three times as much over desktop e-commerce growth. By 2020, it’s expected that 75 percent of all online transactions will be made over mobile.
Have I sparked your curiosity now?
There are several types of mobile payments currently available in the era of the smartphone and they’re quickly being adopted all over the world. I’m going to give you an overview of the most relevant types:
1. The mobile wallet. Everyone’s got their smartphones with them nowadays, so forgetting your wallet at home is no big deal when you want to buy something. Thanks to NFC (near field communication wireless technology), you can just tap once on your smartphone and the purchase is made. It’s as easy as that.
Mobile wallet competitors include some of the biggest players in the online market. Google Wallet was launched alongside Google's Nexus S and the way it works is easy. All you need to do is add funds to it using your credit card and then “tap and go.”
Softcard, known as Isis Wallet up until 2014, also lets users store coupons and other loyalty cards apart their actuals funds. Last year, Apple Pay also came into the NFC market and brought with it some new and cool security measures, including biometric identification that can read fingerprints. Yes, your phones can now tell if it’s you tapping them!
iCushy is worth mentioning here as well as it offers a safe-and-secure payment option for adult digital entertainment using anonymous descriptors. Making it easy for future mobile users over the world to spend huge amounts of money with their mobile devices.
2. The mobile card readers. This second payment method uses your smartphone as a cash register. Rather than using mobile at the point of sale, it turns your mobile phone into the point of sale itself. This option is particularly useful for quick on-the-go shopping and physical vendors.
The biggest player in this category is Square. The product was initially launched as a POS system for small businesses and was replaced in 2014 by Square Order. It offers a free credit card reader app and charges a flat rate on all cards.
3. Direct-carrier billing. It’s the current money maker in the adult space. Why? The user needs no secondary setup, no offline payment option like the mobile wallets that have to be added separately, and no hardware device like the readers that have to be purchased. The user simply clicks on his phone and the payment is processed over his phone carrier. The conversion rate and earnings that are generated over this method are the highest on the market. Of course, the maintenance of this payment method can be a real pain in the ass but it’s worth the effort tenfold.
The mobile payment world is still in its early stages, but everyone’s experimenting with the possibilities. New methods are showing up every month and old payment methods are disappearing. It’s the challenge of the next years for all mobile adult companies to adapt the options in the best way for their products.
Nowhere else is it as important as in mobile to give the user the easiest access to the content he wants to purchase. If you want know more about the future of mobile, add me on Facebook and let’s talk shop!
Stefan Mühlbauer is director of marketing and sales at BrokerBabe.com. If you are interested in the mobile world, contact him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/s.muehli.
