MOBILE PAYMENTS: P2P EPayment and Mobile Wallet Ads Battle at the Bus Stops If you've walked up State St. in Chicago's Loop or along the Magnificent Mile on north Michigan Ave. you've likely seen Citi's ads for Google Wallet. They're on about every other bus stop. If you've been at the bus stop on the northwest corner of State and Madison, you may have noticed that Chase's ad … [Read more...] about Wallet Wars in Chicago
First Square
MOBILE PAYMENTS: A Chicago Cabbie Collects Credit-Card Fares with Square Square, a mobile payments firm, became one of last year's major epayments success stories. I read a lot about the firm, founded by Twitter co-founder Jack Doesey, over the past year, but I had never seen one of the devices in action until a week ago. I gave my credit card to a Chicago cab driver, as I … [Read more...] about First Square
The P2P Payment Challenge
This photo of the menu at Silver Spoon, the Thai restaurant in Chicago that my wife and I ate at this evening, tells a good bit of the person-to-person (P2P) mobile payment story: As survey after survey has shown over the past two years, debit cards are the fastest growing means of payments. As fewer people carry much cash, restaurants are faced with multiple debit and credit … [Read more...] about The P2P Payment Challenge
CTA Approves Contactless Payments System
The Chicago Transit Authority continues to add payment options, with a vote by its board of directors on Nov. 15 to install an electronic fare-collection system. The system would accept contactless credit, debit, and prepaid cards, which would be tapped on electronic readers to make the payment. Contactless payments through mobile phones will also be supported. Currently, the … [Read more...] about CTA Approves Contactless Payments System
MOBILE PAYMENTS: Google-Moto Implications for EPayments
When a deal as large and as high profile as Google buying Motorola comes along, especially on a Monday morning, the words and analysis pour forth. Here's a collection of links to articles on the deal, with an emphasis on epayments. The American Banker's payments website PaymentsSource writes on the merger's implications for Isis, a mobile payment consortium consisting of the … [Read more...] about MOBILE PAYMENTS: Google-Moto Implications for EPayments
DATA: Open Data, Transparency, and Efficient Markets
Control of information and data equates to control of people and markets. Warnings from Milton to Orwell and the ideological struggle between capitalistic and socialistic market approaches increasingly result in greater wealth and freedom. At Chicago's Techweek 2011 conference, the evolution toward freedom and away from control manifested in Friday talks through the benefits … [Read more...] about DATA: Open Data, Transparency, and Efficient Markets