A recent survey from KPMG, encompassing 9,600 people from 31 countries around the world has revealed that almost a quarter of us are using mobile phones to pay for our purchases with Near Field Communication payment points, rather than cash or cards. Using the mobile payment system does indeed seem like an efficient way to shop, meaning that you do not have to carry cash, or even any cards with you while you are out and about. As most people bring their mobile phones with them everywhere they go, they will not have to carry any extra methods of payment, giving them a much easier shopping experience.
However, it looks as though this is still waiting to catch on in the UK. While many people have mobile phones, using various networks such as O2, few of us choose the mobile payment system, or are even aware of it. The figures showed that just 10 percent of shoppers in the UK use mobile payments, suggesting that the UK still has a long way to go to catch up with many other countries in this respect. However, many retailers are beginning to offer the payment options and more and more phone manufacturers are beginning to include the necessary technology in the handsets that they produce. It is expected that by the year 2014, one in five mobile phone handsets will feature the NFC chip.
While mobile payment has not quite taken off yet in the UK, it still seems as though it is on its way, and that it is likely to follow the rest of the participating countries. It does not seem like too much of a leap to say that people will go from texting to paying, after all, it sounds very convenient and any new development is likely to generate excitement.
