Just when you thought it was safe to leave your credit card at home, along came mobile payment facilities.
Snapscan, developed here in Stellenbosch, is the best-known mobile payment option at the moment. Apart from SnapScan, PocketPOS, FlickPay and Payment Pebble are also widely used in South Africa.
All these use your cell phone as Mobile POS (point of sale) so you don’t have to carry cash or a card on you. The assumption is that most people always carry their phones with them, but not their wallets. The mobile wallet is therefore an easy and convenient alternative. You also don’t have to queue or get for a waiter to notice you – just make the payment yourself.
You may think this is just another passing tech-fad, but according to research mobile transactions are higher in Africa than in America. Easier, cheaper internet access by cell phone when a computer isn’t available, being the main reason. In 2012 Africans spent more than 57.8 billion dollar just on mobile payments.
Although QR codes (as used by SnapScan) are still used, new technology is already on the cards. Beacon technology uses your location for a different functions.
Snapscan recently developed Snapbeacon, a first in South Africa. Tap a button in the app and a transaction in the shop will be initiated via Bluetooth. If the function has been activated on your phone, it will automatically show a Pay here option.
Snapbeacon is only compatible with specific phones – iPhone 4S and higher and the latest smartphones with Android 4.3 and higher. At the start of April Snapbeacon was available at 30 SnapScan vendors in Cape Town and 20 in the rest of South Africa.
[SOURCES: www.memeburn.com; www.ventureburn.com]
Net toe jy gedink het dis veilig om jou kredietkaart by die huis te los. Ons stel bekend – selfoonbetalings.
Snapscan, ontwikkel hier in Stellenbosch, is die mees bekende vorm van selfoonbetaling. Maar buiten SnapScan word PocketPOS, FlickPay en Payment Pebble ook tans in Suid-Afrika gebruik.
Teen die tyd het ons almal al gehoor van Snapscan. Hoe anders, dit het sy oorsprong hier op Stellenbosch. Maar Snapscan is nie die enigste selfoon betaalmetode nie. Die ander drie bestaande platforms: PocketPOS, SnapScan, FlickPay en Payment Pebble gebruik ook jou selfoon as Mobile POS (point of sale) sodat jy nie kontant of `n kaart by jou hoef te hou nie.
Die veronderstelling is dat niemand ooit sonder `n foon is nie, maar nie altyd `n beursie saamdra nie. Daarom is die “mobile wallet” `n gemaklike alternatief. Jy hoef ook nie meer in rye te staan of te wag vir die kelner om jou raak te sien nie – hy betaal self vanaf jou foon.
Jy mag dink dat hierdie net nog `n verbygaande gril is, maar volgens navorsing is selfoontranssaksies in Afrika groter in Amerika. Maklike en goedkoop toegang tot selfone vir internet eerder as rekenaars is waarskynlik die rede vir hierdie statistieke. In 2012 het Afrikane meer as 57.8 biljoen dollar spandeer net op selfoonbetalings.
Alhoewel QR kodes (soos die wat SnapScan gebruik) steeds algemeen is, is daar alreeds nuwer tegnologie beskikbaar. Beacon-tegnologie gebruik jou ligging vir verskeie funksies.
SnapScan het onlangs Snapbeacon, `n eerste in Suid-Afrika, ontwikkel. Tik `n knoppie in die Snapscan-toepassing en `n transaksie word geaktiveer met Bluetooth. As die funksie op jou foon geaktiveer is, sal dit outomaties `n Pay here opsie wys. Jy kan dit ook deaktiveer as jy dit nie wil gebruik nie.
Snapbeacon is slegs versoenbaar met spesifieke fone – iPhone 4S en hoër en die nuutste slimfone met Android 4.3 en hoër. Aan die begin van April was Snapbeacon beskikbaar by 30 SnapScan-handelaars in Kaapstad en 20 in die res van Suid-Afrika.
[BRONNE: www.memeburn.com; www.ventureburn.com]
