Mobile Payments Growth: Just The Tip of The Iceberg?

A new report from Business Insider Intelligence on the state of the mobile payments industry shows that, while the volume of mobile payment transactions still represent just a small percentage of overall payments on the surface, the level of growth is significant and quickly shaping the entire payments industry.

Both consumer and merchant uptake is exploding as smartphone users are quickly adopting mobile wallets, payment apps, etc. to facilitate offline and online purchases and as businesses are turning smartphones and tablets into full-featured POS terminals. The next critical step is to persuade the masses to become users of the payment technology available.

When Amazon and eBay launched their online shopping sites in 1995 and 1996 respectively, the notion that over half the U.S. population would make purchases online would have been scoffed at. Yet in 2013, the number of online shoppers in the U.S. will reach 189.6 million, according to eMarketer. In this case, the majority of the consumers were resistant to change until they made the switch and realized the benefits. The same applies to mobile payments.

The key is to examine the current payments industry growth trends, motivations of current users, the reasons for the gap between awareness and usage, and how financial institutions, retailers, network operators and equipment manufacturers can work together to convert reluctant consumers into loyal users. As mentioned by many of my fintech colleagues recently, it goes beyond a mentality of "If you build it, they will come". There is a need to solve for the concern around mobile security as well as develop incentives for usage.

Defining Mobile Payments

For the purpose of the study being reviewed, 'mobile payments' were defined as when a mobile, internet-connected device (smartphone, tablet, smart watch, Google Glass, etc.) is used to facilitate a transaction that might otherwise have taken place using a physical credit card, debit card, check or cash at a physical (not online) store. 'Mobile transactions' (for the purpose of this study) are a larger category that included mobile payments as well as mobile commerce and e-commerce channeled by an app or mobile website (e.g., Amazon's mobile app).

Mobile payments and transaction innovation is currently be led by start-ups and tech companies, who are prompting legacy payments players and card companies to reevaluate their current strategies and increase their own pace of innovation. 'Coopetition' has become the norm as companies team up with each other as opposed to building a mobile strategy from scratch. These partnerships (and individual initiatives) are pushing innovation forward quickly, making the industry fragmented yet ripe for consolidation.

Mobile Payments: Still Relatively Small on the Surface

Like an iceberg, there is much more to the mobile payments than what the can be seen on the surface today, with a U.S. mobile payments forecast of $30 billion in 2013. According to the research compiled by BI Intelligence, this forecast represents an average annual growth rate of 118 percent since 2008, but still will only account for 2 percent of the $3.3 trillion debit and credit card volume in the U.S. this year. It was also found that other global markets (such as Africa and the Asia Pacific regions) are seeing a much larger percentage of mobile transactions.

In both the U.S. and other global regions, the growth in mobile transaction volume has been driven primarily by the growth in smartphone adoption (especially in areas of underdeveloped banking systems). Not only has the smartphone impacted the consumer side of the payments equation, but also the merchant side, where attachable card readers transform smartphones and tablets into cash registers, making card purchases easier.

The Gap Between Awareness and Usage

In a recent research study conducted by Accenture entitled, Driving Value and Adoption of Mobile Payments: Consumers Want More, it was found that while consumers know that mobile payments are an option, they still prefer not to make them. In the study, 41 percent of North American smartphone users were highly aware that their phones could be used as a payment device, yet only 16 percent had done this.

Similarly, the BI Intelligence research found that, similar to most disruptive technologies, the adoption of mobile payments to date has been driven by both the underserved and the early adopter segments. From the merchant perspective, firms like Starbucks, Apple and Home Depot are helping both awareness and usage.

On the consumer side, new apps and 'mobile wallets' from firms like PayPal, Google and Square are helping mobile payments acceptance. But, while consumers are highly aware of these mobile payment applications, and find the convenience and money-saving incentives appealing, many are holding back from using mobile payments because of security and privacy concerns. Consumers worry about their liability if their phone is lost or stolen and express concern that the risk will escalate as the phone evolves into a mobile wallet.

Security and Privacy Concerns Hinder Growth

According to the Accenture study, 45 percent of respondents who do not currently make mobile payments said they were concerned about security, while 37 percent had worries about privacy. 

These findings were in line with another study done earlier this year by Chadwick Martin Bailey entitled, The Mobile Moment: Barriers and Opportunities for the Mobile Wallet. In this study, 73% of those households that were familiar with the concept of a mobile wallet but were forgoing using the capability mentioned security as the reason for non-use. The specific reasons for security concerns included identity theft (70%), theft of phone and personal information (60%), interception of personal information during transaction (57%), hacking of mobile phone (52%), hacking service provider (34%) and getting charged for an accidental transaction (19%).

Chadwick Martin Bailey Mobile Wallet Research, 2013

Potential Beyond Payments

As we move from mobile payments to mobile wallets, many studies indicate that there is the potential to offer more than just payments. According to a recent study from mobile marketing firm Vibes, nearly 85 percent of smartphone owners would like to receive non-payment services from a mobile wallet, including loyalty card storage, coupons, personalized offers and other marketing materials (similar to the Apple Passbook app). Interestingly, the study finds that only 19 percent of those surveyed believe they had been offered any such content.

Again, the Chadwick Martin Bailey research from earlier this year collaborated with the findings from Vibes, illustrating that several additional features would be viewed positively by households who understood mobile payments but had decided not to use this functionality. In fact, the 'perfect' mobile wallet combination from the perspective of non-users was payment functionality combined with the ability to store loyalty cards and other sensitive documents (insurance cards, drivers license, etc.). 

While mobile offers were not scored as high as storage of cards in the CMB research, the Accenture research found that 60 percent of consumers who already do mobile payments would do so more often if they received instant coupons. In addition, 36 percent said they would provide personal information in exchange for such rewards and 46 percent would increase payments if they received location-based offers

Chadwick Martin Bailey Mobile Wallet Research, 2013

The Future of NFC

Near Field Communications (NFC) is a technology that allows devices to communicate with each other at close range to facilitate payments and other transactions. Despite years of debate on the pros and cons of the technology (especially in the U.S.), there are more and more who believe NFC will be a non-starter as a payments technology. It's not that the technology is disappearing (NFC chips are being placed in virtually all new Android phones). It's just that acceptance has never gained steam:

• Google Wallet recently dropped the requirement that NFC technology be required for its wallet app to run. Google wallet has recently developed an app for the iPhone and becoming device and technology agnostic.
• Apple (and PayPal) recently released new close range technology (Beacon) that use low frequency bluetooth communication that is available on virtually all smartphones. This technology also requires significantly less hardware upgrades from the merchant and is faster and has more functionality for the consumer.
• Beacon technology could eliminate the checkout entirely, providing real-time offers, product information, facilitate payments and remove any security devices before leaving the store.

The Future of Mobile Payments

Despite a lot of noise among financial technology insiders and the payments industry, mobile payments and mobile wallets are far from becoming mainstream. As expected, mobile payments are more commonplace with younger demographics and higher income categories as well as having greater potential for those who are underbanked. In other words, the potential for mobile payments in the future is high, but is far from guaranteed.

While our industry continues to be focused on the next shiny technology breakthrough in payments, consumers are more concerned about security, privacy, convenience and the improved 'value' of using their phones to make payments. In other words, "Will the customer experience be better than what I have now?"

Financial institutions, merchants, network operators and technology providers must answer the above concerns and provide education on the way to best move forward . . . from the consumer's perspective. This education is made more difficult with the multitude of different payments solutions being introduced and the overall 'noise' in the marketplace. 

Finally, recent research indicates that both current mobile payments users and non-users can be provided incentives to increase their use of mobile payments. This can be in the form of transaction incentives, mobile coupons, geolocational offers, etc. that are incorporated into the mobile payment experience. 

Today's digital consumer expects their mobile devices to improve and simplify their lives. Until the providers of mobile payments can achieve this goal on a broad spectrum, mobile payments will look like more of a tip of the ice cube vs. tip of the iceberg.

Additional Resources

There's Virtually No Ceiling to Mobile's Potential in the Larger Payments and E-Commerce Markets - Business Insider (Oct. 2013)

Gartner Says Worldwide Mobile Payment Transaction Volume to Surpass $171.5 Billion - Gartner (May 2012)

Driving Value and Adoption of Mobile Payments: Consumers Want More - Accenture (2013)

Consumer Intelligence Series: Opening the Mobile Wallet - PriceWaterhouseCoopers (2013)

The Mobile Moment: Barriers and Opportunities for the Mobile Wallet - Chadwick Martin Bailey (April 2013)

Banking Innovation For The Fat-Fingered

Financial services innovation takes many forms, but Mitek Systems believes simplifying a customer's banking life is best. A leader in the category of using the smartphone camera to simplify normally complex processes, Mitek's mobile deposit solution set the stage five years ago for innovations to follow.

Since 2008, Mitek has had a laser focus and a broad passion for using the phone's photo capability to eliminate the keystrokes that are the bane of consumers in a hurry, who are spelling challenged or have a hard time using oversized fingers on an undersized keypad.

As I have written about frequently over the past several months, I believe some of the best innovations in banking are not the result of added features and benefits to existing financial products and services, but the simplification of everyday processes that can improve the lives of a banking customer. This is what makes me such a fan of Mitek. 

Mitek has created solutions that allow customers to use the camera on their smartphone and tablets to deposit checks and reload prepaid cards, pay bills, get insurance quotes, open new accounts and transfer balances . . . all with a snap of a picture. No data entry is required. With mobile imaging technology, the image is captured with error correction and adjustments made, then data is extracted and put into pre-set fields on the mobile banking app instantly.

What is interesting when I watch Mitek and their bank and credit union partners is that every time I think there is no more that my phone's camera can do, Mitek finds a new solution or enhances a previous innovation.

In an industry where the growth of mobile banking is mirroring the growth in smartphone ownership, the benefits of using one of the most easily understood functions of a smartphone and leveraging it to facilitate a better mobile banking experience are enormous. These capabilities can attract new customer, build engagement, increase cross-selling and enhance loyalty.

While what may follow may sound like a commercial for Mitek, it probably is. With so little true innovation being done by traditional banking organizations in the U.S., it is refreshing to see a company that makes innovation part of their overarching company mantra. The good news is that Mitek continues to build new solutions that banks can implement quickly and easily (i.e. U.S. Bank), making them innovators as well.

To illustrate my point about the focus of Mitek on innovation, I have included a video where Jim DeBello, president and CEO of Mitek discusses innovation at his company.

Mobile Deposits

In a recent Forrester research paper entitled, 2012 US Mobile Banking Functionality Rankings, Peter Wannemacher wrote, "No mobile feature has made as big of an impact as quickly as the mobile remote deposit capture (RDC) functionality". The benefits of offering mobile deposit include:

• Mobile customer engagement: Moving the customer beyond simply checking balances.
• Cost reduction: While the amount of cost reduction is certainly up for debate due to the ability to reduce staff and physical facilities, there are definitely lower costs with mobile deposit than for a branch-based transaction.
• Revenue potential: As I outlined in a recent blog post entitled, From Free to Fee: Monetizing Mobile Deposits, U.S. Bank, Regions Bank and others have found a way to generate fee income from this value-added service.
• Enhanced customer experience: Anytime, anywhere simple mobile convenience to make a deposit, generate a receipt and access funds.

Rather than resting on their laurels, Mitek has continued innovation within their mobile deposit solution. In the Spring of 2012, Mitek introduced the ability to leverage their mobile deposit platform to load prepaid cards using a smartphone, freeing underbanked customers from needing to use costly check cashing facilities.

At the Remote Deposit Capture conference I attended in Orlando this September, Scott Carter introduced enhanced capabilities including endorsement analytics that can reduce risk, improved business intelligence that increases the ability to investigate processing exceptions, and a real-time image capture technology that provides instant feedback to the customer as to the quality of their image during the capture process (MiSnap™ SDK).

Mobile Photo Bill Pay

In May of 2011, Mitek won their first 'Best of Show' award at Finovate for their Mobile Photo Bill Pay solution. At the event, JJ Hornblass, publisher of Bank Innovation gave the service an A+ for the 'cool factor', an A+ in the category of 'I want it' and an A+ for 'profit potential'. Nice report card at a highly competitive financial innovation showcase including dozens of other innovation introductions.

The Mitek Mobile Photo Bill Pay solution enables users to pay their bills anywhere, at any time, simply by taking a picture of the paper bill with their iPhone or Android smartphone. Regardless of format of the bill, the relevant information from the bill is extracted, with fields within their mobile banking application being auto-populated. The customer simply confirms the information, schedules the payment and clicks 'pay'. Address barcodes can also be read which results in faster address verification.

Beyond paying a bill, the solution allows for very easy addition of a new payee for either one-time or recurring payments. With bill payments being one of the most important engagement services to make a new or existing account 'sticky', this service is a major benefit to the bank wanting engaged customers.

“As mobile banking applications have increasingly become ‘table stakes,’ it is even more critical for financial services providers to understand which new applications are truly value-added and should become a part of their core suite of mobile banking offerings,” said Bob Hedges, managing director at AlixPartners and co-lead of the firm’s financial services practice. “The valuable consumer functionality and convenience provided by Mobile Photo Bill Pay provides banks with a critical marketplace differentiator they need.”

Partnering with Mitek, and leveraging its Mobile Photo Bill Pay product, U.S. Bank was the first leading financial institution to offer this innovative service to customers in early 2013. Since this announcement, several other major banks have partnered with Mitek on their bill pay solution including BBVA Compass.

Mobile Insurance Solutions

Mitek's mobile photo imaging technology is the foundation for a suite of solutions for the insurance industry as well including the following:

• Mobile Photo Quoting™- By entering a zip code and taking a picture of a drivers license, insurance ID card and the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), a customer can get a quote in a matter of moments.
• Mobile Photo Payments™- By taking a picture of a blank check, automatic payments or reimbursements can be made directly using a customer's personal checking account.
• Mobile Photo Claims™- Filing a claim is simplified by using the phone's camera to take a picture of the drivers license, insurance card and the license plate, eliminating hundreds of possible keystrokes.

Progressive Insurance was the first to market with Mitek's Photo Quoting supporting their mobile rate comparison application. Below is a video that describes the insurance industry suite of services.

MiSnap™ SDK

Enhancing the functionality of all of Mitek's solutions, MiSnap™ SDK is a technology that knows when all conditions are optimal and automatically snaps a photo of the check for mobile deposit or a bill coupon for the bill pay solution. This capability provides real-time visual feedback to the user in an intuitive and fun way, eliminating time and effort in the capture process. 

MiSnap is supposed to be twice as accurate as the previous manual capture process because it eliminates human error which can occur as a check or bill is being captured. This also decreases time to complete and increases satisfaction and adoption.

Mobile Photo Account Opening

In September of this year, Mitek again won the 'Best of Show' award at FinovateFall for their unique Mobile Photo Account Opening™solution. Mobile Photo Account Opening enables banks and credit unions to reduce the time and effort needed to open an account through the use of photo imaging. This solution could be used for mobile self-service account opening or in branches by new account personnel.

By taking pictures of the front and back of a drivers license, vast amounts of validated data can automatically populate the new account application, eliminating many of the errors that occur during this process. This frees up valuable time for better customer interaction and cross-selling and eliminates mobile opening abandonment that can be as high as 70%.

The Mobile Photo Account Opening solution can seamlessly integrate with a bank or credit union's  existing account opening process, assisting with identity proofing and fraud prevention through a partnership with Experian.

According to the July 2013, Javelin Research & Strategy report, How to Upgrade Online and Mobile Account Opening for an Omnichannel Era, “the fact that 88.5 million Americans attempted to open an account online or with a mobile device in the past 12 months underscores how far digital account opening has come in a few short years. Nonetheless, its potential remains largely untapped, especially as consumers place growing importance on mobile capabilities.”

In the same report the firm also noted, “The number one job for financial institutions should be to enable applicants to open and fund an account in one session.” 

Mobile Photo Balance Transfer

In just the past couple of weeks, Mitek continued the ongoing wave of innovation by partnering with U.S. Bank to offer Mobile Photo Balance Transfer to U.S. Bank mobile banking customers.

Mobile Photo Balance Transfer allows U.S. Bank customers to easily take advantage of credit card balance transfer offers from U.S. Bank by snapping a photo of an exisiting credit card payment coupon from another bankusing their mobile device and sending it to U.S. Bank to apply for a balance transfer to a U.S. Bank credit card.

Using the photo capability of a mobile device simplifies the process of account transfer as well as eliminating many of the errors that can occur in the process.

What's Next?

I am not sure what could be down the road with Mitek Systems, but it is definitely fun to watch as the ubiquity of the smartphone camera photo is used to simplify banking and improve the customer experience. 

Possibly, the next innovation will move beyond transactional functionality to provide a virtual safe deposit box for important documents stored electronically by the bank. Or maybe the solutions move into the payments space, allowing a customer to snap a photo of a barcode on a high priced item to enable the almost instantaneous approval of a loan for the customer. 

The good news is that I am sure the innovation isn't done.

Additional Resources

Mobile Remote Deposit Capture: Changing How Consumers Bank and Banks Compete - AlixPartners (2011)

Mobile Deposit: Why Now. . . and How - Mitek Systems (2012)

Broadening Mobile Bill Payment Adoption with Photo-Based Payment: Quantifying the Benefits _ Aite Group (2013)

Consumer Market Outlook for Mobile Photo Bill Pay - AlixPartners (2012)

The Next Generation in Bill Payment - TowerGroup 

Five Trends Shaping the Next Generation of Digital Banking - Forrester Research (2013)

The ROI of Mobile Photo Bill Pay - Aite Group and U.S. Bank (2013)

How to Increase Net Profits with Mobile Photo Account Opening - Mitek (2013)

Big Day for Payments: Plastic vs. Digital

Only in the ever changing world of payments.

It is more than a bit ironic that on a day that Isis Mobile Wallet announced that they were going live with their carrier-backed digital payments initiative, a unique card-based solution named Coin announced their alternative solution to the overstuffed wallet.

The question is . . . which solution has the greatest chance for near-term and long-term success?

Maybe both will garner the support of the key involved parties. Maybe neither. Maybe another company will take the Coin concept mainstream sooner than the planned introduction. The one thing I am pretty sure of is that it is further evidence that financial institutions need to place multiple bets on alternative solutions to avoid being left behind.

Despite all of the talk in the industry around mobile payments, acceptance of new digital innovations and platforms has been anything but a smooth ride. In addition to the seemingly insurmountable challenge around consumer's concern with security/privacy, getting merchants, consumers, financial institutions and even carriers on the same page has been close to impossible.

At the end of the day, the biggest challenge may be the perception by many that there is no reason to fix something that isn't broken. The current card-based process for making payments, while not perfect, is relatively easy and definitely firmly entrenched in the consumer's daily life.

What is Coin?

Coin is a .84 mm thin plastic card-like device that can store any of your current cards (actually, 8 of them) and behave like the cards it replaces. Instead of carrying an assortment of debit, credit, gift, membership and loyalty cards from various institutions, you simply use the dongle provided (like the one used by merchants accepting Square) to capture your card information on your phone, take a picture of the cards and use the Coin app to load your Coin card.

While only 8 cards can be loaded into the Coin card, an unlimited number of cards can be stored in the mobile app and switched in and out of the card as desired. "You don't need eight cards every day, so your phone is kind of like your drawer, and your Coin is kind of like your wallet," explains Parashar, founder and CEO of Coin. 

When you are ready to pay or use a loaded card, simply press a button on your Coin card to select the card you want to use (electronics imbedded within the Coin card itself), present your card to the merchant like you have done in the past, and the rest of the process is the same as it is today (see compelling video below).

Coin is Secure

For those concerned about the security of the card should you leave the card behind (only happens to me about 4x a year), the Coin card uses Bluetooth low energy technology to inform you on your phone that you left your card behind. Better yet, the card completely disables itself if your phone and card are away from each other for more than 10 minutes. 

For those concerned about someone scanning another person's plastic into the app, Coin says that the app only accepts a card that includes the user's personal information. Further, the Coin app is protected with 128-bit or 256-bit encryption and the company is pursuing PCI compliance. The app is also password protected.

Coin is Cool

Coin Retargeting Ad

From the video alone, it is clear that Coin is cool. I personally love it because it is another example of incremental innovation, based on simplifying a person's life seamlessly. It combines something that I am very familiar with (traditional magnetic swipe mechanics) and leverages very high tech digital technology to lighten my wallet. The public seems interested as well since, in the first 48 hours, almost 2 million people viewed the demonstration video on YouTube, making this financial product the number one trending video.

No new hardware is needed since the device uses a traditional (or new form) credit card swiping device.

In other words, Coin has done what mobile payments is hoping to do (eliminate wallet bulk) without changing my payments behavior. And until NFC, Isis, PayPass or any other mobile payment alternative gains the needed momentum to become omnipresent in my life, an incremental improvement works for me (even though I still love the integration of my Moven debit card and PayPass with mobile receipt and payment analysis).

Initially, the Coin card is expecting to be released in either black ('Midnight') or white ('Snow'), with additional colors being introduced later (sound familiar?). The app will initially be able to run on both iOS and Android. Obviously, the Coin card would not be used for online purchases.

While not the best way to judge a new payments alternative, even the Card website is cool. Here is a link to the product's FAQ page (be sure to read all of the questions . . . some are helpful in daily life).

Coin Crowdfunding

While already having raised funds from venture capital firms (and interestingly the backing of former Google Wallet head Osama), Coin hoped to raise the $50,000 it says it needs to start producing the card by pre-selling the cards to the public beginning immediately for $50 on their website. This method of pre-sale was to gauge the acceptance of the concept up front and underwrite the initial  offering. It is expected that the card will be priced at about $100 at introduction which is scheduled for next summer.

According to representatives from Coin, the start-up surpassed their initial goal for funding . . . within 40 minutes. In addition, the buzz in the industry (while not always the perfect barometer) was unprecedented. Obviously, the consumer wants an alternative to the fat wallet, that is easy to use, acceptable everywhere and avoids a steep learning curve.

To kickstart the process (pun intended), Coin is offering a $5 referral incentive for those who pre-order Coin. Once a person orders Coin, they will be provided a unique URL via email which can be used to tell friends and family about this unique payments solution. For each referred party (up to 10) who also pre-orders within 90 days, a $5 credit will be applied (up to covering the $50 cost of the service.

No Platform is Perfect

Just like the card-based platform Coin is hoping to simplify, the solution is not without some potential drawbacks. For one, while the concept of connecting the smartphone and Coin card for security is a significant benefit, there may be some challenges during normal use when the bluetooth connection is lost (during airplane mode) or the card is out of contact with the phone for extended periods. Coin says that reactivating will be simple.

Additional issues include the normal concerns around any card-based system such as potential skimming even though there is encryption, durability of the card (said to be 2 years of 'normal' use) and the fact that the Coin card is not waterproof. It is still to be seen how durable a computer embedded, less flexible card will be (especially in my pocket).

From my perspective, there is one more drawback . . . Coin won't be available for at least another 6 months. Knowing the unpredictable payments world, the introduction will probably correlate with an announcement by Apple regarding their entry into the payments battlefield.

A Word About Isis

As mentioned in the beginning of this post, another significant announcement occurred today with the long awaited launch of the Isis Mobile Wallet. According to the press release, customers with one of the more than 40 'Isis ready' smartphones can receive an enhanced SIM card from their wireless carrier and download the Isis Mobile Wallet for free from Google Play. The Isis Mobile Wallet will allow customers to pay at contactless payment terminals.

Unfortunately, with only 200,000 local and national merchant locations (out of 8 million merchant locations in the U.S. market), this solution will continue to face an uphill climb. In other words, this might be a potential mobile solution if you live in the right place with the right phone.

Not surprisingly, the newswires were buzzing with discussion and stories about payments innovations today. It just wasn't about Isis.

Additional Resources

Coin Website (with video)

Inside Coin's Techie Vision for the All-in-One Credit Card: CNET (Nov. 2013)

Coin, The Electronic Credit Card, Reaches It's Pre-Order Goal in 40 Minutes: TechCrunch (Nov. 2013)

Coin Tries to Make Credit Cards History - Forbes (Nov. 2013)

My Digital Banking Nirvana

Last week, I was fortunate enough to be one of the keynote speakers at the inaugural Next Bank Sydney. In preparation for my presentation entitled, 'My Digital Banking Nirvana', I looked globally for mobile banking applications that were the best at being simple, encouraging engagement and being contextual.

With help from the team at Mapa Research, I came up with almost 30 components for my perfect mobile banking relationship from every region of the world. Some were completely unique, while others were mobile applications that multiple financial institutions provide.

Link to my Next Bank Sydney presentation, My Digital Banking Nirvana on SlideShare here

What Makes a Great Mobile Banking Application

In many ways, there is no difference between what makes a great mobile banking application and what makes a great non-banking mobile application. The key components are:

• Simplicity: Does the app replace a non-mobile process I do often? Does it make my daily life easier? Is it easy to use? In the non-banking world, I love the KeyRing application because it stores multiple loyalty cards in one place on my mobile phone, eliminating the need to carry plastic cards. The app also links to digital offers I can redeem without cutting coupons.
  
• Engagement: Does the application stimulate positive interaction, and build a better application from this engagement? For me, my Marriott mobile application does a great job. Beyond providing the standard ability to make reservations and check my loyalty balances, it also allows me to check in early, receive notifications when my room is ready and informs me about special offers through multiple channels.
  
• Contextual: One of the benefits of a mobile application vs. an online tool is the ability to provide value based on where I am located. My favorite app from a contextual perspective is OpenTable. Using locational functionality, OpenTable provides suggestions of restaurants based on my current location and previous dining experiences. Reward points are provided for using the app and starting next year, the app will also allow me to pay for my meal using my phone and the OpenTable application.

So, which mobile banking applications meet one or more of the above criteria and could become part of my digital banking nirvana? As could be expected, this list is fluid, since new innovations are being introduced every week, replacing previous applications that were once best-in-class.

Mobile Banking 'Basics'

As an active mobile banking user, there is some functionality that must be the foundation for my best-in-class mobile banking relationship. First of all, as covered in a recent blog post entitled, Banking Innovation for the Fat-Fingered, leveraging mobile imaging technology and my phone's photo capability simplifies mobile banking by removing keystrokes and improving accuracy. Therefore, I expect my future mobile bank to provide the following:

• Mobile photo account opening using just my drivers license
• Mobile photo bill pay
• Mobile deposits
• Mobile photo balance transfer

In addition to leveraging the photo capabilities of my phone to simplify my banking, I would prefer to eliminate many of my password and authentication steps, while not having to worry about security issues. One potential solution is to integrate Capital One's new SureSwipe login feature into my new mobile banking relationship. With SureSwipe, I remember a pattern as opposed to passwords, making my login easier as shown in this humorous video.

I also do not want to go through a series of authentication steps just to see the balance in my account. In the U.S., GoBank provides me the opportunity to see my balances with a simple swipe of the finger. GoBank is still one of the few banks in the U.S. to provide this instant balance feature, even though Mapa Research found close to 20% of major banks worldwide offing this functionality.

Banks overseas offering a similar capability included Commonwealth Bank's Kaching, Swedbank's 'balance shake' and Bank of New Zealand's mobile app that allows you to see your entire relationship without a full login.

Other benefits of GoBank I would like to include as part of my digital banking nirvana include having a wide range of customized alerts, a negotiable monthly fee, and their 'fortune teller' that informs me when I might be spending money I will need later. (I covered the reasons I like GoBank in a Financial Brand blog post here)

Going a step further, I would prefer not to type any information at all into my phone for basic mobile banking. If I had USAA's Virtual Assistant powered by Nuance, that would be possible since members are able to use voice commands to perform basic banking tasks. Nuance is also testing a similar solution at U.S. Bank.

  

Mobile Payment Applications

Beyond the basics, no other functionality of mobile banking is as important as payments. Despite high industry attractiveness and relatively low consumer acceptance (in the US at least), mobile payments is the Holy Grail of mobile banking and is the potential tipping point in the battle between bank and non-bank providers. From making payments to tracking payments, the diversity of payment applications globally is exciting.

One of the most comprehensive mobile payment applications is from Commonwealth Bank in Australia. The CommBank Kaching application provides the ability to make P2P payments by bumping phones with another person, using a mobile phone number or email address, or even through Facebook. For bill or merchant payments, QR codes can be used and NFC payments are supported with internal Android functionality and with a CommBank Paytag on iOS devices.

CommBank Kaching Mobile Payments Functionality

Once payments are made, some of the best mobile receipt capabilities I have seen have come from the new banking competition in the U.S. I am a user and a fan of the Moven digital receipt capability that provides me real-time feedback on my PayPass or debit card purchases as well as contextual transaction insights (the application also has spend tracking to compare spending to previous periods and the ability to pay friends by email, mobile or via Facebook).

It would also be nice to include the ability to add pictures to my receipts as offered by Simple in addition to having real-time adjustments to my safe-to-spend and budgeting insight. Simple also provides a very comprehensive search capability that can assist the tracking of spending using 'Google-like' queries or hashtags for spending categorization. Poland's mBank also provides transaction search capability using Google-like queries supported by the excellent Meniga PFM platform.

Simple Real-Time Receipts with Safe-to-Spend 

 Simplified Budgeting

I understand that my mobile phone is not the best platform for enhanced budgeting, but I still want to be able to track how I am doing each month using my mobile device as an adjunct to the online banking capability on my desktop. This requires striking a very careful balance between form and functionality.

As I mentioned, I am a fan of both Moven and Simple for their tracking and budgeting capabilities. Both allow me to see my financial position compared to previous periods and utilize a mobile-first design. The visualization of spending behavior is excellent with the use of easy to understand graphs on both the online and mobile platforms.

For me, one of the best personal financial management (PFM) tools has been developed by MoneyDesktop. Using some of the most advanced user interface design capabilities in the industry, their MoneyMobile solution takes some of the best functionality from their online application and creates an excellent visual interface for mobile devices.

MoneyDesktop Mobile PFM Solution

Channel Integration

As much as I am looking for the ultimate mobile banking experience, I realize that mobile may not be the best channel for all of my interactions with my bank. In those instances when I want to use online banking tools, talk to a customer service representative or visit a branch, I still use the same criteria of simplicity, positive engagement and contextual functionality.

As I travel between online, mobile and my tablet, I don't want to relearn how to conduct my banking. While I may want added functionality that takes advantage of the tactile and interactive benefits of the tablet or the expanded canvas of the desktop computer, I want the 'feel' of the experience to be similar.

Westpac New Zealand recently introduced an excellent device agnostic solution  that provides a similar look and feel across devices. In addition to using a responsive design (making the look conform to the device and how the device is held), the use of a 'central platform' will simplify changes in the future.

WestPac Device Agnostic Central Platform

When I have a problem with my account, the last thing I want to do is search for the appropriate phone number for customer service or wait until I get home. Therefore, the ability to have an integrated customer service capability within my mobile banking application is a must.

NatWest and RBS were the first two banks in the U.K. to offer in-app, real-time customer service whereby a customer can initiate a conversation with a dedicated Mobile Chat advisor. In addition, ING has a mobile application that allows for direct appointment setting with a specific agent in a few easy steps.

NatWest Mobile Chat

Going one step further, Turkey-based Akbank became the first bank to offer video chat. Customers can make a one-click video call from within the bank's online banking site to one of the bank's video enabled service agents. No additional software is needed and the application will soon work on Android and iOS devices as well.

Akbank Video Chat

Finally, for those potential instances I may want to use a branch, the traditional branch just doesn't meet my needs. I want to be in and out as quickly as possible and most likely won't need to see a teller. Banks globally are trying to address this change in customer behavior by scaling back traditional transaction-centric branches and replacing them with either advisory-centric units or technology-enabled branches that leverage video and advanced transaction capabilities.

National Australia Bank (NAB) recently opened their first 'Smart Store' where traditional tellers have been replaced by full service machines. These new branches take less space, will potentially have longer hours and are geared to the lifestyles and digital-savvy nature of Customer 3.0. (This new branch format was covered by The Financial Brand here)

Expanded Mobile Functionality

As with any avid mobile banking user, I want even more from my mobile banking experience than just basic transactions, payments and basic money management. For instance, I have definitely come to enjoy my PNC Bank ATM/Branch Finder, that uses augmented reality to allow my phone to search and find facilities through the screen on my phone. Interestingly, while I find the app useful, I am intrigued as to why the app isn't integrated into my normal mobile banking application (PNC Finder is a separate app).

With the demise of most points programs associated with debit card usage, more elaborate (and potentially more lucrative) merchant-funded rewards programs have taken their place. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these programs require a proactive opt-in on an offer level basis and are connected with the online banking relationship as opposed to mobile banking. This makes taking advantage of any rewards cumbersome at best and downright maddening most of the time.

To address this problem and to provide locational rewards using my phone's GPS capability, Cardlytics is enhancing their merchant-funded reward program in early 2014 to include a much more user-friendly rewards program that will provide offers based on where the customer is located. This functionality is already available from American Express with their My Offers program that leverages both transaction history (what I do) with locational information (where I am).

Support of Wearable Technology

As long as I am trying to develop my digital banking nirvana, I might as well look a bit further into the future and make sure my mobile banking relationship can be supported by wearable technology. While definitely not for budgeting or more difficult mobile banking transactions, both Google Glass and SmartWatches can potentially be effective for mobile alerts, balances, simple transfers/payments and augmented reality ATM/Branch finding capabilities.

Two banks are setting the pace globally for wearable technology integration. Banco Sabadell has already used an open app development forum to create mobile banking using Google Glass. As covered by The Financial Brand, the first iteration of 'banking by glass' includes balance inquiry, the ability to get alerts and find branches and eventually deposit a check by looking at it.

In addition, Westpac New Zealand has created the first SmartWatch banking app that leverages the bank's Cash Tank application. Initially only providing balances without formal login, the application is expected to also include the ability to get alerts and do transfers in the future.

One Last Word on Mobile Banking Innovation from Australia

It is clear that the development of innovative mobile banking applications is an ongoing process with new applications and capabilities being introduced almost every day. Therefore, it is important for those searching for digital banking nirvana to not only keep up with industry trends globally (much of the innovation is being done in the Asia Pacific region as mentioned in my recent blog post on innovation), but to also partner with those banks that have innovation ingrained in their culture.

I was lucky enough to be surrounded by many banks at Next Bank Sydney that obviously do more than just talk the talk on innovation . . . they walk the walk. It was apparent that each institution put a high premium on future thought and were encouraged to think out of the box and not be afraid to fail. The energy level of people from these banks was high and there was an amazing willingness to share from each other as well as leaders globally.

Beyond Australia, banks like CaixaBank and HanaBank, as well as USAA, Moven and Simple in the U.S. are ones to follow. I also am intrigued by BBVA, where their Innovation Center is both robust and very public. In addition to a public Innovation Center web site, there is also a LinkedIn and SlideShare page, sharing ideas that have been developed and discussing the innovation process at BBVA.

It is clear that my digital banking nirvana will be a moving aspirational target. But, if I was to combine what is available globally today into a single mobile banking app, I would have a killer mobile banking relationship with my bank.

MY DIGITAL BANKING NIRVANA from Jim Marous

Additional Resources

My Digital Banking Nirvana - Jim Marous on SlideShare (Nov. 2013)

Mobile Banking 2013: Are You Following or Leading - Mapa Research (June 2013)

Banks Accelerate Mobile Banking Innovation - Bank Marketing Strategy (June 2013)

Loop: A Mobile Wallet Game Changer

Loop is an exciting new mobile wallet solution that has achieved near ubiquitous acceptance with more than 90% of POS terminals without any infrastructure change by the merchant, the acquirer, or the issuers. 

While other mobile wallet players are talking about NFC, EMV, barcodes, BLE and the cloud, Boston-based start-up Loop has invented an incredible mobile solution that intelligently communicates with the existing retail mag stripe reader interface today – without another plastic card and without the merchant needing to change anything!

Compared to the recently announced Coin solution that captured the hearts and more than 7M YouTube sets of eyes of consumers and the fintech world a few weeks ago (see Bank Marketing Strategy post on Coin), Loop has been amazingly under the payments 'next shiny object' radar during its funding process. There was a wave of fintech buzz in October, including several articles and a presentation at Money2020, but not much since.

In an exclusive interview with Will Graylin, CEO of LoopPay, Inc, he said, "Loop has been focused on product development and our soft launch which will take place in about 3 weeks. We did a small PR effort at the time of our Kickstarter campaign, but we did not want to blow a lot of hot air before we had our product ready for market and had happy users." He continued, "Many have overhyped their solution and have failed. We are more interested in the long run and are building solid a foundation for our future with solid partners."

Given that Loop is delivering a solution that automatically transforms virtually every existing POS terminal mag stripe reader into a contactless payment receiver, I don't expect Loop to be in the shadows much longer.

That's right, unlike other solutions that require merchant terminal conversion or a programmable card with limited security, memory, card or battery capacity, Loop integrates the highest level of Payment Card Industry (PCI) security and can store hundreds of payment, gift, loyalty, reward or ID cards into a smartphone.

To 'trick' the mag stripe reader into thinking a physical card is being swiped, the consumer will need one of several add on devices available from Loop to emulate the card swipe including a Fob (being sent to 2,000 pre-order customers and Kickstarter backers this month), smartphone charging cases (available for iPhone 5 and 5s in early 2014 and other devices shortly thereafter) and eventually wearable devices.

Once cards are 'swiped' into the LoopWallet app using the Square like device, the user can select the card they want to use at payments. While the process initially will use additional consumer hardware, ultimately, Loop would prefer that their Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology be directly embedded into the mobile device itself, eliminating the need to carry any additional hardware.

Watch the video below and see if you agree with me that this is an ingenious new mobile payments innovation.

What is Loop?

Loop co-founders Will Graylin and George Wallner think they have the killer mobile wallet solution. Their invention, which they've dubbed Loop, allows consumers to use their iPhone or Android phone to buy virtually anything anywhere they'd normally use a debit/credit card. 

The best part? It works with the existing mag stripe swipe terminals that nearly all merchants use today, so merchants don't need to make any changes to accept Loop payments . This is a major milestone in the mobile payments race! The loop app can also provide timely insight (gift card balance, reward points, available balance) and can serve offers from merchants and card issuers.

Oversubscribed in initial Kickstarter fund raising efforts, Loop has just collected $10 million in Series A funding, setting the stage for Series B funding in early 2014 to will fuel future growth.

In my exclusive interview Graylin said, "We see Loop as the only contactless solution that has ubiquitous acceptance on day one." He continued, "Given that all other technologies require changes in the POS to have contactless mobile transactions, or require infrastructure or system changes by merchants, that puts Loop in a very good position to lead the way as the first wallet solution that works across merchants."

This is a major distinction to other mobile wallet solutions. Beyond mag stripe POS system readers, the only new POS interface to have achieved more than 10% acceptance across merchants is EMV, and that took 2 decades to reach 50% worldwide acceptance and is still not here in the U.S. And while EMV will come eventually, it will most likely continue to co-exist with magstripe readers for decades. 

Since the mag stripe will continue to be used by most debit card, gift card and loyalty card holders, Loop could be either a 'bridge' to a full mobile solution or 'an end solution'. According to Cherian Abraham, mobile commerce and payments lead at Experian Global Consulting, "As far as acceptance, Loop has fair winds. No longer is there a need to search for merchants who accept your choice of payment. And guessing by the state of EMV – even when it's been called a 'bridge solution' – Loop can expect a very long bridge."

Tomorrow's Transactions interview with Will Graylin, CEO of Loop by David Birch, Director at U.K. based Consult Hyperion available here.

How Does Loop Work?

Unlike most other mobile wallet solutions, Loop doesn't require a special dedicated transaction network. Instead, it mimics the magnetic transmission frequency usually held on a card's mag stripe, allowing it to be received by a traditional POS card reader. When the Fob device or MST enabled ChargeCase is held close to the reader (about 4 inches), the transaction occurs exactly the same when a card is swiped.

Loop Fob Delivery Package

Loop Fob in Colorful Carrier

Initially, Loop will only work with a $34 Fob device that comes in a variety of colors (shown above). With initial shipments occurring this month, the Fob can be replaced early next year with an MST enabled charging case for owners of an iPhone 5 or 5s. 

The Fob is a small audio jack device with a card reader to scan a consumer's cards. This Fob is compatible with both iOS (app available this month) and Android devices (app available in early 2014). Since the Fob also holds your payment information, it doesn't need to be connected to your phone to make payments. It pays using whatever card you selected as your default payment card. If you want to change the card, you can reconnect the Fob to the phone and select the alternative card you want to use.

When a consumer receives their introductory kit, they follow these simple steps:

1. Download the LoopWallet App
2. Simply swipe debit, credit, loyalty, IDs, membership and gift cards using the swiping Fob device provided (similar to a Square device)
3. Use the LoopWallet app to select the card you want to use
4. Place the Fob (or ChargeCase) near the POS card reader and hit 'transmit' on the screen or device to make purchases

Loop gives the consumer control over what to include in their LoopWallet. Load what cards you want and the LoopWallet app allows a consumer to organize and manage the cards as desired. A consumer can even store passwords within the application and take photos of the cards (unlockable with a pin).

The Loop ChargeCase (available in early 2014 for iPhone 5 and 5s) is a protective case that serves as both a transmission device as well as providing 60% more battery power similar to a Mophie battery case. A swiping device is included with the ChargeCase solution.

Loop Security

From initial LoopWallet set-up, to ordering the Fob or ChargingCase to initiation of a transaction, it is clear that security has been a top priority for LoopPay designers.

When ordering the device itself, security measures are in place to ensure that the person ordering the device can be authenticated. When I purchased the Loop FOB and ChargeCase (yeah, I did both), Loop provided security questions ranging from the last four digits of my social security number to previous address validation. This ensures that if someone stole my Fob, they would still need to have access to my name and password to access my LoopWallet.

In addition, when the transaction is taking place, the device must be less than 4 inches away from the mag stripe reader and the encrypted information only gets transmitted for a few seconds. No sensitive data is stored in Loop's servers and all card information is secured by a 4-digit pin (beyond what you need to access your phone).

In an exclusive interview with Damien Balsan, COO of LoppPay, Inc., he provide a list of security measures their team has put into place for enhanced security:

1. We are preventing cards from being used by anyone other than the owner himself/herself. The user has to register to LOOP Wallet thru a KYC Process and our server is authorizing any card loaded in the wallet. You could only enter cards with the users name.
2. Our server is a Level 1PCI certified server. It does not store Track Data. The card information is stored in a Global Platform Secure Element.
3. The LOOP experience is quite intuitive for a consumer: he/she loads all his cards one time whether payment cards or ID/Loyalty cards and he can chose the level of security he desires.

A great series of Loop usage and security FAQ's available here.

Potential Drawbacks

The two most likely drawbacks of Loop would probably be the cost ($34 for a Loop Fob and $99 for the ChargeCase) and the desire for more simplicity. There is also the issue of 'the other 10 percent' of places where Loop won't work.

Cost

Requiring consumers to invest in specialized hardware could be a significant obstacle to acceptance. While Coin may have been able to get people to invest in their card technology at $50 (early bird offer), there is no history on the potential mass appeal of a mobile payment device at any cost and certainly not at a cost of $99.

In response to this issue, Loop's Graylin told me, "Today, consumers pay $99 for a Mophie charge case. For the same price, we give them a mobile wallet that can be used at almost every store." He added, "Obviously, being able to claim 90%+ acceptance at current retail locations is a big plus, but it remains to be seen if consumers believe the cost offsets the current convenience afforded by carrying plastic."

He also added, "Just consider the benefit of being able to pay at a store the few times that you have forgotten your wallet. Many of our pilot users and testers remind us this all the time."

Simplicity

"In the payments space, Coin has almost an Apple-like simplicity to it, stated Deva Annamalai, SVP of marketing technology and data insights at Salt Lake City based Zions Bancorporation. "On the other hand, the Fob is a form factor that is almost a step back in time."

For any payments solution to stand the test of time with today's digital consumer, it will need to be easy to understand and simple to use on a daily basis. The iPhone 5 ChargeCase with integrated Loop technology is definitely a step in the right direction, but will need to be offered for other Android and Apple devices quickly for the solution to be embraced.

The 'Other 10%'

The fact that Loop works on approximately 92% of the POS systems in the country, there are the 'other 10%' of locations that users need to be aware of. For instance, Loop will not work on most gas station devices or at ATMs or on machines that that use 'two-sided' readers (older technology). For this reason, Loop recommends that users bring along a 'go to' card for those places that Loop may not work. That said, initial tests have shown that Loop will work in most locations.

The Future of Loop

In addition to the shipping of an MST enabled ChargeCase ($99, 1200 mAh battery) for the iPhone 5 and 5s in early 2014, a potential thinner and more powerful ChargeCase may follow. In addition, Graylin has hinted on several occasions that other form factors (possibly wearable technology) are in development. 

There have also been discussions of a Bluetooth LE-enabled plastic card (sounds like Coin) and a mobile wallet product aimed at students who prefer not to carry college IDs, payment cards, loyalty cards, etc.

Potentially more important to the industry, Loop has been having discussions with handset makers to see if Loop could be integrated into future phones. As mentioned by Cherian Abraham from Experian, "Loop's ultimate goal will be to be aggressive with its future form factors so that it no longer draws attention to itself and disappears – into phones or its accessories. Aesthetically it’s dongle has to be like Square, and that’s tough when you are not Square."

When I asked the team at Loop about the future, they said the main question that they get over and over is how will their solution work after EMV becomes more prevalent in the US. Their response was that the Loop solution will still be able to work. They referred to the fact that they will continue to co-exist with magstripe readers for decades to come and are confident that their dynamic data solutions will be appealing for many issuers. 

While Loop is definitely an ingenious solution for an industry looking for a go to mobile wallet solution, the road ahead is not all smooth sailing. Not only does Loop need to convince Customer 3.0 that a mobile wallet solution with a physical Fob or ChargeCase is a value added solution worth the cost, but they also need to persuade skeptical consumers who continue to worry about security and privacy issues around mobile payments.

LoopPay LinkedIn page

LoopPay Facebook page

LoopPay on Twitter

Additional Resources

Loop $10 Million Funding Press Release

Breakthrough Interview Podcast Series from PYMNTS on the Development of Loop - PYMNTS

Inside Secure to Power LoopPay Mobile Wallet - Finextra (Oct. 2013)

Consult Hyperion Podcast Interview of Will Graylin - Consult Hyperion (Oct. 2013)

Loop: The Future of Mobile Payments or a Temporary Fix? - TechCrunch (Oct. 2013)

Loop Mobile Reader Makes Contactless Payments with Mag-Stripe Tech - PaymentsSource (Oct. 2013)

Loop to Debut Breakthrough Mobile Commerce Solution at Money2020 - Loyalty Payments (Oct. 2013)

Loop Hits Kickstarter, The Absolute Greatest Mobile Payment Device Yet - The Slanted (Oct. 2013)