British iPhone Owners Have Biggest Appetite for Mobile Payments

[Michael Essany]

The British are coming... for mobile payments.

Although the nascent mobile payments industry continues to grow at a significant pace, NFC-enabled phones and mobile-based payment systems are yet to reach a level of ubiquity widely anticipated by industry analysts. Still, the adoption of mobile payment platforms continues among mobile customers, but mostly among iPhone owners in the UK.

A new poll conducted by YouGov (a poll of 2001 UK adults) reveals something curious about British iPhone owners. As it turns out, 21% of British mobile customers would pay their bills through a mobile phone if presented with the option to do so. Another 25% would transfer funds, while 36% would check their balances (presumably on bank accounts, credit cards, etc), and another 17% would use it to pay other people.

Owners of Apple's iPhone are considerably keener on all fronts though; 46% would pay bills, 62% transfer funds, 69% check balances, 45% pay others and 31% make contactless payments.

While iPhone owners clearly top Android users on readiness to adopt mobile payments, the lead isn't by much. "Android owners also demonstrate a strong interest in mobile banking and payment services," Finextra confirms in its coverage of the YouGov study, "with BlackBerry users generally more circumspect."

Not surprisingly, non-smartphone owners are - by far - the least interested in mobile payments.

Source: Finextra

[KraXik]

It is alot easier to just pick up my phone, do my errand, then put it down. No waiting around for the PC to load then close all the annoying programmes on startup that I originally thought was a good idea.

It helps having all-you-can-eat data. I wonder how long until we go the way of AT&T?

[spazturtle]

It helps that data in the UK is super cheap, I can get 15GB a month for £10.

[confucious]

Here in the UK all credit/debit card payments are chip'n'pin (signatures are a thing of the past) and more and more credit cards have contactless technology. the major phone companies have agreed standards for NFC so it's just a matter of time.

As for "all-you-can-eat data" the only UK provider offering that is Three - and they have to offer it because otherwise no-one would use them....

[myhargalan]

This is why people get fat lol

[islandremix]

Here in the UK all credit/debit card payments are chip'n'pin (signatures are a thing of the past) and more and more credit cards have contactless technology. the major phone companies have agreed standards for NFC so it's just a matter of time.

As for "all-you-can-eat data" the only UK provider offering that is Three - and they have to offer it because otherwise no-one would use them....

im an american living in the UK. i thought i was getting a deal when i was told i have unlimited data on my cell phone plan(tariff). i was dissappointed when i found out unlimited in the UK is not unlimited like the US. there was a cap on my data usage of 500mb. when i was in the US i had an unlimited data plan with my 3gs. imagine how i felt moving out here. no 3G coverage where i live. i was used to having it everywhere. my internet provider in my house only offers 40gb bandwith. again i was used to unlimited in the US. my internet connection peaks at 3mbps at home. three!! i was getting 20mbps in the US. i guess now that im living in the UK i have to get used to not being so data hungry.

[iGuy]

Hmmmm. There is a difference between the United Kingdom & Great Britain. I wonder who they REALLY surveyed - those in the UK or those in GB? The "surveyors" seem to be swopping between the two.

[windowsdan]

im an american living in the UK. i thought i was getting a deal when i was told i have unlimited data on my cell phone plan(tariff). i was dissappointed when i found out unlimited in the UK is not unlimited like the US. there was a cap on my data usage of 500mb. when i was in the US i had an unlimited data plan with my 3gs. imagine how i felt moving out here. no 3G coverage where i live. i was used to having it everywhere. my internet provider in my house only offers 40gb bandwith. again i was used to unlimited in the US. my internet connection peaks at 3mbps at home. three!! i was getting 20mbps in the US. i guess now that im living in the UK i have to get used to not being so data hungry.

I am living in the UK and have recently got back from a long trip in America. Miami Beach, Miami. All I found was that it was not quite as sparse as the UK but there were still data-less areas for mobiles. The internet connection in the hotels I stayed in were appalling (yes they were decent 5* ones).

However, I get a full H+ signal in my area with a mobile connection speed across data of 8.5Mb/s and because I have gone with Virgin Media I get a 100Mb/s connection on my home internet.

The UK isn't that bad lol

[sziklassy]

This is why people get fat lol

How does this make any sense? Are you burning many more calories calling in to check your bank balance or writing that check to pay the bills? It's not like these tasks that are being easier/more convenient were high energy tasks to begin with.

[amandasmithe]

Really i am impressed from this post....the person who created this post is a genious and knows how to keep the readers connected..thanks for sharing this with us.i found it informative and interesting. Looking forward for more updates..

[Donnutt]

I'm in the US, and I already do most of my banking and bill paying from my phone. I would welcome tech like NFC in my phone. The less I have to carry, the better. I also am not the least bit worried about security as I know that if anyone targets you for identity theft, or hacking, There isn't much you can do about it anyway. I just live without worrying about such things. Makes life easier.

[Tucnepo]

This is why people get fat lol

People get fat because theyre too pathetic to know when to stop

[confucious]

Someone says

This is why people get fat lol

in response to

all-you-can-eat data

and people don't get that it was a joke?

[sziklassy]

Someone says in response to and people don't get that it was a joke?

Generally when a person responds to another post, it is quoted, as I am doing to you now. A "blank" response generally implies a response to the original post. Just saying...

[confucious]

Generally - but not always. When it is obvious which post you are responding too you don't need to quote it.
Like I'm not now. Just saying...

[baskie]

im an american living in the UK. i thought i was getting a deal when i was told i have unlimited data on my cell phone plan(tariff). i was dissappointed when i found out unlimited in the UK is not unlimited like the US. there was a cap on my data usage of 500mb. when i was in the US i had an unlimited data plan with my 3gs. imagine how i felt moving out here. no 3G coverage where i live. i was used to having it everywhere. my internet provider in my house only offers 40gb bandwith. again i was used to unlimited in the US. my internet connection peaks at 3mbps at home. three!! i was getting 20mbps in the US. i guess now that im living in the UK i have to get used to not being so data hungry.

Uk offerings might not be as good as those in the US. But, in the UK your nit surrounded by yanks, so surely that's worth putting up with 2nd rate data packages?

[rickuk]

Uk offerings might not be as good as those in the US. But, in the UK your nit surrounded by yanks, so surely that's worth putting up with 2nd rate data packages?

And at least we can switch phone providers without finding our phone isn't compatible with the new supplier

[baskie]

And at least we can switch phone providers without finding our phone isn't compatible with the new supplier

Ya, that must be a right pain.

I was also going to add we also don't have an idiot for a president. But then, we have an upper class idiot for a PM so you've beat us on that one.

BTW, for anyone with a SOH failure, the yank comment was in jest.

Also, I'm a total hypocrite anyway as I live in Ireland now!