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Do You Accept Cellphone Payments?
beuges writes "In one of South Korea's latest efforts to establish itself as a technology trendsetter, the country's three telecom giants, major credit card companies and several banks have been working for a year to enable Koreans to pay for everything from groceries to petrol by cellphone."
You may recall seeing something about it during the Superbowl a few years back.
Here's a tip for all you inventors looking to make things easy for the rest of us: CELL PHONES DO NOT HAVE A SIMPLE ENOUGH INTERFACE FOR MOST COMMON INTERACTIONS.
Perhaps the real story here is how far behind the US is in the widespread use of mobile phone technology...
Can't read the article as it's been slashdotted but the concept makes sense. Telcos are one of the few businesses which have the processing of micropayments (small amounts of money for small amounts of utility) as a core competency.
You can currently buy a Coke in Australia from a vending machine by using your mobile phone to dial the machine with the cost being tacked onto your bill. However currently this is limited to one carrier (Telstra) and of course caller ID has to be enabled for it to work.
a world in progress...
What happens when you lose your cell phone. It happens often enough but when that's all that's gone it's not too bad. If it's your phone, credit card, ID, etc. that'a a hugh problem.
-Tim Louden
SMSes have taken over bullshit systems like PayPal as far as micropayments in Europe go. The real problem is the telecoms. Here in Poland, their cut is at least 30%, and this is on a huge discount, massive volume number - usually it's around 50%. So my friend, who runs a service that lives off SMS payments, after taxes gets about 35% of the money his customers spend. It's a shame, almost everybody in Europe has a cell phone (or at least access to one) and it's much easier, secure and impulse-buyable then any kind of credit/debit/virtual bank system.
"In the future thieves only will have to steal one handset," Lee said. "It will be their window to your world." - Sapa-AP
Maybe that's not what they said. But with the recent theft of my T-Mobile Sidekick fresh in my mind, I am hesitant to put so much faith in my easiliy pilferable devices.
(counter-point: credit cards can be stolen, yes, but my sidekick was not nearly as wallet/back pocket friendly as a credit card, thus not suck to my ass all day giving it a better chance of being stolen)
Note to self: No more arguing with the faithful.
...cellphones weren't already complex enough? I don't carry a Swiss Army Knife or a Leatherman, when all I need is one blade. For the very same reason, I'm strongly against most cluttery "features" like this.
First give me a product that has a useable interface and spend some time making sure I can dial the thing one-handed. Add useful PHONE features, not useful kitchen utensils and assorted toys. Use that extra space on a huge battery I only have to charge once a week. In short, make my cellphone better, not just different.
-theGreater Luddite.
It's a great idea and all but there are problems I forsee that could arise.
I used to work as a cell phone dealer, everyone wanted a cellphone after they became a fashion statement and parents were siging up for 1-2 year contracts in order to let their 9 year old children have a new toy to show off at school (like the recently releasedN-Gage for example). The problem is that if you give a child a cellphone like this, it is the same as handing them your credit card. It was rare that these parents I tried explaining the plans to cared to listen so when they got their $400.00 bill they came to me screaming. No matter how advanced the system, a phone like this in the hands of a child could cause serious problems for their parents. It isn't bad enough that going over the minutes in your plan will give you a $200.00 bill, now you have to worry about your child who wants a pony... You just gave them the ability to buy one!
The only other major concern I have would be how to incorporate a solid security system. I am sure that a PIN system will be implemented, but there are always those few foolish people who don't care to remember their PINs by heart and would rather leave it saved as a message or note in their phone. Now what would happen WHEN (not IF, dear reader) that cell phone is lost? I can't tell you how many times A DAY I used to have my customers come in (some literally in tears) telling me they had their phone stolen or lost. I could just see the mass hysteria cell phone dealers of the future would have to deal with when a customer loses one of these...
Business \Busi"ness\, n.;
A scam in which all people involved perceive as beneficial...
yeah... could we get a few more convicted monopolists into this system? perhaps Microsoft could build the proprietary network interface to handle all this secure data transfer and storage via passport or something...
are we just -hoping- that they decide to play nice with their fees and standards and data security?
sure it -sounds- like a good idea... wait no. it only sounds -futuristic-. it sounds like something spock would do at a vending machine. so it must be good right?
please. is swiping a plastic card so difficult?
even ignoring the added security problems of a wireless network - it just sounds unnecessary.
// "Can't clowns and pirates just -try- to get along?"
There's no reason why an infrared or bluetooth port on a cellphone couldn't be made to unlock doors and start ignitions. Think how great would it be to only need one device to communicate, start your car, and pay for whatever you need when you go out.
Up until now, the cell phone has added yet another thing to take with you and keep track of when you go out. Instead, with a bit of innovation using already-existing technologies, it could easily be the only thing you need to bring. I'd be more than happy to skip the camera/color screen/instant messaging features for my next phone -- what I really want is for my cellphone get rid of my keys and wallet.
I'm generally "Interesting," "Insightful," and even "Funny" here. What the hell happens to me at parties?
In Copenhagen, Denmark, you have been able to pay parking tickets with your cellphone for over a year now. There are also supposed to be some vending machines where you can pay with your cellphone, but I haven't seen any of them yet.