A process called “tender steering” is new to most retailers. It means that a retailer can provide incentives to customers to use a particular type of card to pay. This method could give retailers the power to drive interchange rates down by driving customers to some types of cards and away from others. You might … Continue reading Will Retailers Use “Tender Steering” to Control Interchange Fees?
Combining Payments and Loyalty Programs
The first pictures of the Isis mobile wallet are probably many months away from being released to the public. No, the image on the left is neither from Isis nor endorsed by Isis, but it has merit based on recent public statements from the company. Last week, two executives on the Isis management team discussed … Continue reading Combining Payments and Loyalty Programs
Starbucks Mobile Payments
Starting today, my wallet will forever stay in my pocket at Starbucks. That doesn’t mean I’m going to stop buying Starbucks coffee; it means that I can finally feed my caffeine addiction using only my SmartPhone. When Starbucks Coffee announced yesterday that over 6,800 of its locations would accept mobile payments, there was a significant … Continue reading Starbucks Mobile Payments
Will Mobile Payments Become a Format War?
It is called a “Format War.” Two or more companies with different products compete for your attention. Of course, as a consumer, you get to choose the product you want. If you don’t like it, certainly you are free to switch to another product. However, since companies know this, they can make it incredibly cumbersome … Continue reading Will Mobile Payments Become a Format War?
The SmartPhone Wallet is Now Available
A torrent of advertising and promotional marketing is heading your way to try to get you to use new services on your SmartPhone at retail stores. Perhaps you have already seen some, or signed up for some. At stake is the future of the credit card system that moves over $11 Trillion per year from … Continue reading The SmartPhone Wallet is Now Available
How Carrier Consortium Could Challenge Visa and MasterCard
Washington at Yorktown. Grant at Vicksburg. Abbott at San Francisco? Michael Abbott is the new CEO of the joint venture announced yesterday by AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless. The name of the venture is ISISTM and their primary charter is building a national mobile commerce network that aims to “fundamentally transform how people … Continue reading How Carrier Consortium Could Challenge Visa and MasterCard
DIY CyberGuy with David W. Schropfer 