Bickering Blocks US Mobile Phone Payments 267
theodp writes "Imagine a technology that lets you pay for products just by waving your cellphone over a reader. You wouldn't have to if you lived in Japan, where people have been using it for the last five years to pay for everything from train tickets to groceries to candy in vending machines. While nearly everyone who's tried it has liked this form of payment, consumers in the United States won't be able to wave-and-pay anytime soon: The companies that must work together to give the technology to the masses can't agree on how to split the resulting revenue."
Micropayments. (Score:2, Interesting)
I wish that mobile- and micropayments would gain bigger focus in the intustry. There are first pilots going on here in Europe.
OTOH: some countries (South Asia, mostly) already have problems with malware on their phone "stealing" money by sending text messages...
Re:Cash! (Score:3, Interesting)
People paying with "cold hard cash" really slow down public transport. That's why it isn't allowed at busier bus stops in central London (there will be a machine to buy tickets from next to the stop). If you have an Oyster card you just touch it against the bright yellow reader as you get on, you hardly need slow down walking. If you've got a paper ticket, you just show it to the driver as you get on.
On ticket barriers at stations, RFID cards are much more reliable than paper tickets (especially paper tickets which lasted a month or more and tended to lose the information in the magstrip). If I travel regularly, they also save my time. I only need put credit on the card once in a while (or set it up to happen automatically, from my credit card), rather than queue and buy tickets every day.
If my Oyster card is stolen, I get most of the money back (I lose a £5 administration fee, I think). If my debit card is stolen, the same happens. The debit card is less useful to a thief anyway -- if I'm mugged, it's likely I'll be left with it, and only the cash will be taken.
I also don't need a credit rating to get a debit card, at least in the UK (I do need to be not bankrupt).
Re:Cash! (Score:2, Interesting)
It's been 5 years . . . (Score:4, Interesting)
And yet I've yet to see one in use in Japan. Granted I only stay a month there every year, but cash is king in Japan and Asia in general. I rarely see credit cards being used (although it has become a bit more common over the past 15 years).
Just like the waving of credit card (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Oyster cards! (Score:2, Interesting)
That's right, why shouldn't we have a neat and practical new means of making transactions because some people are consumer whores? That's a bullcrap way of thinking, besides, it's no different than a credit card (which are already maxed out for these people anyways).
A new method of payment will not make a difference to those who can't control their spending.
By your line of thought we should also ban guns, I mean, Cheyney wouldn't have shot his friend in the ass if guns weren't available, right? Why don't we ban cigarettes? Heavy smokers kill themselves with those. Might as well ban the internet, I heard that some addicts ruin their lives because they spend too much time online.
This "we gotta protect everyone from everything" mentality has to end. I say let people make their own mistakes, provide help to those who want it and let nature run it's course.
Re:Cash! (Score:4, Interesting)
Except that you have to file an IRS form to carry any amount of cash over $10k.
Also when carrying even that much cash it really sucks to get mugged as you simply won't be getting that money back as opposed to carrying an insured debit or credit card.
For large purchases there's no reason wire transfers don't work which is how most people conduct large transactions these days anyways. Between wire and checks you've got what you need for large purchases so its all about the smaller purchases. Should you be able to buy a TV with your cell phone? I wouldn't trust the current phone companies to add up the bill reliably as they can even bill reliably for what they currently provide. That just means it's more of a hassle instead of less when compared to a credit card that is.
Re:Oyster cards! (Score:2, Interesting)
First, it's not easy, dispite what you may hear bleated by media and politians. Second, that has consequences of it's own. My wife just came out of it a few years ago (divorce lead her to bancupcy). No bank even considers her for a loan. When we refinanced, my bank wanted her not to show up on the paperwork at all. Otherwise they'd deny the loan.
Re:Oyster cards! Not a Chance in the States (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Oyster cards! (Score:3, Interesting)
Well, the statement thing IS nice to have a record of all your expenditures, I'll grant that.
However, I rarely ever think of, or find the time to log on and go through that. Maybe once a month maybe I log on, when it is time to pay bills. I don't write many checks any more, so I don't really ever go on there and balance the check book or anything.
So, when I go straight with cash, while I don't have much a record of what I buy (unless I were go keep receipts, etc), I DO have a real time reminds of the rate of my expenditures during the week. That means more to me, that at the end of the month, looking through charges, etc...and while it IS a record...doing through and figuring out what each was for, etc.
Just the way my brain works...I do much better keeping up with my daily spending if I'm doing cash and when I pull out my wallet, I have a constant reminder of what I'm spending due to what I have left in my money clip.