The Mobile Money Network (MMN) has launched its Simply Tap mobile payments application and service.
Carphone Warehouse (CEO Andrew Harrison pictured) is one of the first retailers to have offered customers the option to pay by Simply Tap, along with Thorntons, Goldsmiths, thehut.com, Pretty Green and moreTvicar.com.
Simply Tap, built on a payments platform developed by Monitise — one of the founder companies of the MMN — does not use NFC. Instead, it requires a customer to go through a one-off registration process to input information such as card details and delivery address.
Customers can use the Simply Tap service on their phones to order products wherever they see a product with a SimplyTap code attached by tapping that code into their mobile phone. The product code could be online, in-store or on an advert.
“This initial launch phase is all about gathering as much intelligence as possible,” John Milliken, Managing Director of The Mobile Money Network, said. “We expect to learn an enormous amount about how consumers want to use their mobiles to shop. We are already developing the second version of the app where you can expect to see image recognition as a major feature.”
Andrew Harrison, CEO of Best Buy Europe and Carphone Warehouse added, “Simply Tap will provide retailers with compelling new options when it comes to marketing and selling products. Customers want to be able to pay for goods via any device and on any network. Today is evidence of a shared vision amongst UK retailers and we look forward to our staff and partners being the first in the world to use this genuinely unique service.”
Nick Holland, Senior Analyst at Yankee Group said, “Mobile payments are about far more than a financial transaction and this service will enable retailers to capitalise on the fusion of physical and virtual worlds using mobile technology as a conduit.”
On Android: http://bit.ly/vCQ1vQ
From the Apple App Store: http://bit.ly/tyjpq9