Some of the smart phone apps
are helping people with daily payments and transactions effectively and
efficiently. We talked about the apps and the potential benefits brought by apps
in the previous posts. I have to admit that in the ICT world, I am totally not
a radical pioneer who is proficient in all kinds of apps that might make my
life easier, but I do recall the first time I used an app called 'Scan' and I 'WOWed'
excitedly. The past February, I participated in 2012 Social Enterprise
Conference held by Wharton Business School in Philadelphia. After scanning the QR code
provided, the entire schedule and agenda for the conference, the bios for the
panelists, the time and room to go at different time, and some other customized
information just show up on my iPhone within seconds. At that time, I was
wondering is it currently applicable or would that be able to purchase goods by
simply SCANNING that MOSIAC in the near future?
The QR code is the trademark
for a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code) that might look like
badly laid mosaics. Smart-phone users take photos of them and then they are
decoded in seconds and their secrets revealed. An article by AOL that came out
on May.4th, regarding the rapid development of the Quick Response (QR) codes,
caught my eyes. The article said that Tesco has achieved great success by
putting up posters of its goods in the underground stations and displaying them
much like they do in store. For example, each image of a cling-filmed rump
steak or tin of sardines has a related QR code, which can be scanned in and the
goods can be ordered for delivery while people are waiting for the trains. In
the context of hard-working South Koreans, the technology seems perfect because
people there perhaps understand better than most that time is money.
Not only Tesco, but other
big E-commerce players, credit card companies and even small technology companies
are eager to divide up the benefit pie brought by the application of smart
phone apps and QR codes in mobile payments.
PayPal-
QR code mobile shopping in Singapore
Singapore is known as a
smart phone-crazy country and was chosen by PayPal to conduct an interesting
trial which allows the phone owners to buy goods on the go using a QR code
reader application. According to the AllThings report, this experiment is
taking place at 15 stations on the country’s metro system (SMRT) where the
eBay-owned payment company is showcasing gifts from eight retailers at reduced
prices for Valentine’s Day. Smart phone owners should first download the PayPal
QR code reader, functioning for scanning products. Once the products are
scanned, items can be purchased by logging into PayPal or by providing credit
cards details.
Here is a clip regarding the
QR code mobile shopping in Singapore!
MasterCard-
QkR mobile payment app
When Visa and American
Express are moving forward with their own wallet apps, MasterCard is rolling
out the first trial of its QkR mobile application, a mobile payment app that
allows people to interact and initiate payments via QR codes, NFC tags and
other technologies.
The QkR app is available on
both iPhone and Android. The QkR app can work for businesses and restaurants,
allowing consumers to grab discounts or menus with a scan or tap, and help them
check-out right through the app, which would help to raise the efficiency of
the services and business. Meanwhile, MasterCard is also looking to leverage
mobile apps, the NFC technology and QR codes to build up a payment system that
can work in a variety of settings.
Here is a clip regarding the MasterCard QkR mobile payment app.
Here is a clip regarding the MasterCard QkR mobile payment app.
Probably in the near future,
these MOSIACS would entirely change the way that people make transactions and
accomplish purchases but we still don't know yet. With the rapid development of
ICT, our life quality and efficiency have been improved but meanwhile, we still
have take the potential risks regarding
information security and privacy invasion brought along with technology.
Hopefully we won't get ourselves exposed too much by incorporating advanced ICT.
Reference:
1. QR codes: we'll soon be
buying our groceries at the bus stop. Retrieved by: http://money.aol.co.uk/2012/05/04/qr-codes-well-soon-be-buying-our-groceries-at-the-bus-stop/?icid=money%7CDL_1_link
2. PayPal trials QR code
mobile shopping on Singapore’s metro service. Retrieved by: http://thenextweb.com/asia/2012/02/10/paypal-trials-qr-code-mobile-shopping-on-singapores-metro-service/
3. MasterCard starts
piloting QkR mobile payment app. Retrieved by: http://gigaom.com/2012/01/26/mastercard-starts-piloting-qkr-mobile-payment-app/