Enjoy your holiday shopping this year; it could be the last time you reach for your wallet to pay for all of those gifts. A week ago, conventional wisdom would have dictated that Americans would need to wait at least five years before such a reality were even possible, never mind widely available. On October … Continue reading PayPal and VeriFone: Subtle Announcement, Sweeping Implications
Can Visa, MasterCard and AMEX Become Extinct?
Absurd? Maybe not. Visa, MasterCard and AMEX and their peers are acknowledging a serious threat in the future: the Smartphone. All of these companies make their money by taking a very small percentage of every transaction that uses their services. But what if you could complete a transaction without their services? What if you could … Continue reading Can Visa, MasterCard and AMEX Become Extinct?
Bricks, Not Bits, Will Drive the Mobile Wallet
The most widespread misconception about potential of M-Commerce is that it will primarily be a way to shop online. But, online retail accounts for only about 4% of all retail transactions today, and will probably grow to about 8% by 2014. While the growth rate is impressive, the fact remains that brick and mortar retailers … Continue reading Bricks, Not Bits, Will Drive the Mobile Wallet
Migration from the Wallet to the Smartphone: Barcodes
Do you carry any barcodes with you in your wallet? What about your keychain? Take a look and count all of the loyalty cards, membership cards, coupons, and all of the other places were a barcode me here. I found four in mine, and I have thrown them all away in lieu of one of … Continue reading Migration from the Wallet to the Smartphone: Barcodes
DIY CyberGuy with David W. Schropfer 