Payments

Apr 14, 2010

Why mobile is changing the banking planet

Back in 2004, I asked a group of bankers when mobile would take off in banking. They all said: “not in our lifetimes”. In 2007, Bank of America launched their mobile banking applications and has seen a rapid uptake of users. In less than a year, they reached a million customers on mobile, and saw…

Apr 12, 2010

Online payments is far more than PayPal

As those who follow this blog know, I write regularly about services such as Facebook and PayPal. This is because they are disruptive and fresh, as well as being incredibly successful. For example, Facebook is now the world’s #1 website, bigger than Google. Not bad for a five year old. Meantime, PayPal is still growing…

Apr 12, 2010

The World of Me

I was watching a program about Sandi Thom. Sandi was the girl who played music in her bedroom, put it on MySpace, got picked up by a record firm and became an overnight star with a massive hit: "I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair)" back in 2006. She was…

Apr 9, 2010

How Facebook Payments could work in the future

Imagine Facebook create a partnership with a global bank – let’s say HSBC – to offer a P2P payments service. Not Facebook credits, but proper P2P payments. How might it work? Today, I found out. I got Hyves. Yes, I know that sounds like some sort of disease but it’s not. It’s actually the Dutch…

Apr 8, 2010

A new PSD-approved Payments Institution starts business

Nick Ogden, CEO and founder of Voice Commerce (he previously created WorldPay, the RBS payments unit, back in 1993 and sold it to them in 2002*), recently spoke at the FSClub about using voice biometrics as part of authentication in mobile financial transactions. Who are Voice Commerce Group? Best to read what they say about…

Apr 1, 2010

Who remembers our flexible friend?

Just chatting with a chap over the phone to make an order for some bathroom stuff, when he asks for my Visa or Access card details. Of course he meant MasterCard not Access, and soon corrects himself apologising for his age. “Oh no, I remember our flexible friend well”, I say … It just goes…

Mar 30, 2010

If identities are unique, why do I have so many?

It’s a question I’ve asked before, but is becoming even more pertinent as I see new identity management programmes being rolled out that are fragmented, uncoordinated and, in some ways, nonsensical. The point was brought home to me as I listened to the stream of discussion about identity management that took place as a workgroup…

Mar 24, 2010

Summary of the payments landscape

I just received the 10-page summary of this year's IPS show. Great document produced by the indomitable Heather McKenzie – good job. Here's a little snippet to wet the appetite of those who missed it: There was a mood of cautious optimism at this year’s conference as delegates focused on the opportunities that have arisen…

Mar 18, 2010

USAA: #1 for Customer Service

Great article from Bloomberg Business Week about their #1 Customer Service Champion Provider: USAA. Here are a few selected pieces from the story: Since we first produced the list in 2007 with our research partner, J.D. Power & Associates, no other company has come close to achieving USAA's feat: a No. 1 or No. 2…

Mar 17, 2010

Why PayPal et al REALLY matter!

So yesterday I argued that PayPal and their brethren of social monies don’t matter. It was like unleashing the sceptical banker that I know resides deep within me, and it felt good. Then I got a dose of new reality vision (maybe due to so many comments on yesterday’s piece) and it felt not so…