News Use your mobile as a payment option

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/09/04/use_your_mobile_as_a_payment_option/1

Over this past weekend, many UK mobile users have found a new feature activated on their mobiles called PayForIt, which allows users to make purchases using their mobile.

 

I read this on the BBC site yesterday of which my thoughts where that, "Yay yet another reason to get mugged or stabbed up for your mobile phone".
We have credit cards for this sort of thing, of which are a lot more secure.

 

Meh, I've had PayPal linked to my mobile for a year or so. Not used it once.
Although if anyone mugged me, they'd still need to get my PIN. But if they did, then they could empty my PayPal account AND my bank account (linked by my debit card).

Ironically, I'm more likely to just have some cash or a card on me than my phone.

 

I forget my phone more than my wallet anyway. I'm not a fan of this idea - i don't want to be fumbling around with my phone or having random things attached to my phone bill. Yet another useless solution to a non-existent problem

 

Firstly, the paranoiac in me loves the anonymity of cash - it's nice paying for something in a way that's not listed in however many databases for a change. Everything you buy on card, the vendor knows your name, the bank knows what you've bought... etc. Sure, mostly it's irrelevant, but I still think it's an important option.

On that note, wil this be being offered on Pay As You Go?

Secondly, surely I'm not the only person here who's taken advantage of "for cash" discounts & bartering? 17.5% off is nice... *ahem*

So yes, I'm certainly in favour of more payment options - but I never want anything to "replace cash"...

 

Japan have been using mobil phones as a credit card for years now. I was wondering how many centuries it would take to reach us, not that I would use this method of payment.

What happens if your phone is stolen and your nextphone bill has £5K of purchases. Are you covered like a credit card???

 

Barclaycard is introducing a new card with one of those smart chips or whatever - you just need to scan it over the reader to pay for things under £10. No need for pin, or even to take out the card. Much better than the mobile payment system.

 

i prefer hard cold cash..... iirc the USA are making pressure on RFID sub dermal implants to substitute your identity and money, but i think it wont fly, remember the rfid passport fiasco?

 

I hate that. I'd live in fear that the system would pick me up from a distance and randomly charge me for things.

 

CardJoe if they are like our buss passes and tickets (they are RFID), it has to be at about 10 cm or less from the machine.

 

Fine, then we'll get thieve running around with handheld versions, scanning everyone in sight!

!WHERES THE HUMANITY!

 

CardJoe it has to be slightly static for about 1 to 2 seconds..... and parallel to the card, because the card it self is the antenna and the chip is about 1mm in size.

the only scanable versions are the ones they want to fit into people that are the shape of a grain of rice, you then copy the data in them and start imitating people and stealing cash and framing people for serious crimes..... or you can make a strong electromagnetic field and fry everyones chips.

 

Our Esso gas stations have a similar system, where you hold a small plastic keychain up to the pump and it immediately charges the gas you put in your car to your credit card. My mom got it because she didn't want to waste time taking out her credit card each time, but I think its a bad idea.

This seems more secure and useful though, I think it could really take off with people. I can see fat kids racking up huge tabs at the vending machine though.

 

Thats an interesting question, and it all depends upon how it is setup (what communicates with what), and how they write the contract. With a mobile, if it is stolen, you have to report it stolen immediately to the company you have your contract with, at which point they'll immediately stop any future use of the phone, and black-list the serial of the phone (a unique code stamped into the hardware - kind of like how MAC adresses were designed to work).

If, however, you take a day or two to report it, and the thief racks up that five-K, then you have to pay for it.

I would imagine that this system would work the same on the phone side, except when it comes time to report it to your credit card, all the funds stolen would be refuned, and then charged to you on your mobile bill, as I am sure the communication between the two wouldn't be all that on-par


Thats one theory anyway.