PayPal is set to open Australian mobile commerce (m-commerce) to a broad range of goods and services with the launch of the PayPal Mobile Checkout. The service offers consumers the opportunity to make instant and secure payments to businesses through a mobile phone.
With PayPal Mobile Checkout customers can access sites designed for mobile devices on their mobile phone and purchase products and services using their PayPal account. According to Galaxy Research two out of three Australians would like to purchase products through their mobile phone, in particular movie tickets, pizza, gifts or music.
The research also shows that nearly three quarters of Australians are concerned about the security of their financial information if purchasing goods through their mobile phone.
“With PayPal, your financial information is never shared with anyone, which is one of the reasons behind PayPal’s rapid growth in Australia,” says PayPal Australia managing director Andrew Pipolo.
“We’re very excited to be launching PayPal Mobile Checkout just as we hit five million accounts in Australia. We believe Mobile Checkout will be embraced by Australian PayPal account holders for the same reasons that they choose PayPal for internet shopping – choice, convenience and security.”
According to Digital Glue, an organisation that specialises in mobile marketing and transaction solutions, PayPal Mobile Checkout will lead the way for the development of mobile commerce in Australia.
“While we’ve already seen some limited payments being offered through mobile phones, these have often come with restrictions, particularly around high merchant fees and caps on the amounts that can be transacted with customers,” says Anthony McNamara, director of Digital Glue.
“We see the launch of PayPal Mobile Checkout as the first real milestone in the development of mobile commerce here in Australia, with its flexible pricing and competitive fee structure.”
Several businesses have already signed up for Paypal Mobile Checkout and are in various stages of rolling out the service including Warner Music, Hoyts and the World Society for the Protection of Animals.
Jason Nealon, vice president of business development for Warner Music in Australia, is drawn to the mobile internet as a way to provide direct interaction with customers interested in any of the Warner Music artists.
“With Hoyts Mobile Ticketing, we can provide our customers with an easy, convenient and secure way to buy tickets at a time and place that’s convenient to them. We see and embrace the potential for ticket purchases through mobile and are excited to offer this new service. Once launched, it will be much easier for movie-goers to purchase last-minute tickets for themselves and for their friends,” says Anthony Thiessen, Hoyts head of marketing.