BOSTON—Wireless marketing company MobileLime is using Near Field Communication technology to allow mobile users to pay for purchases and receive rewards over their cell phones.
The company is pushing an enhanced “MobileLime wallet” centered on an NFC-compatible phone that can be waved over a contactless reader at the point of sale. Users can configure a personal identification number for security, and can receive and redeem coupons over their handsets.
The move is the latest by a wireless player to create an m-commerce link in the retailing value chain, but whether the industry can create sustainable business models at the sales counter is unclear. Mobile subscribers may not be willing to pay a premium to use their phone in place of a credit card or cash, and finance companies may be hesitant to surrender a share of point-of-sale revenues to carriers and others looking to boost m-commerce uptake at retail locations.
MobileLime is hoping to lure both consumers and retailers with its wireless affinity programs.
“Moving to NFC is a natural evolution for MobileLime, from both a technology and customer perspective,” said Chief Executive Officer Robert Wesley. “We were the first to market with mobile payments in the U.S. and understand not only the challenges of the technology, but have successfully leveraged the learnings to create a complete mobile shopping solution that drives merchant sales while rewarding consumer loyalty.”
