Unlike the other mobile app categories, the market for mobile payment apps is continuously changing. Many giants have entered the mobile payment solutions with the urge of dominating others. Some of them have disappeared from the picture, while others are leading the league. Payment apps or mobile wallets are supposed to make it easy to pay for stuff, or at least let us pay off our lunch when our wallet is left forgotten.
The changes in our life styles have been tremendous and are still evolving. From carrying cash to credit cards, now it’s just mobile wallets and payment apps. Our wallets are no longer heavy, and we don’t have to hold on to them anymore. So here we are listing all the mobile payment apps that are aiming to ease your transaction activities. These apps are designed for smartphones and tablets that run on platforms like Android and iOS.
Google Wallet
Google Wallet is a user-friendly app that can be easily installed. It enables users to pay by just tapping or swiping the phone in the participating stores and allows sending the payment to a friend via Gmail service. It also keeps loyalty card information and membership details at one location. The app is supported by the latest Android phones that come with the built-in NFC technology.
Any of your credit card or debit cards can be linked to your Google account to make the payment. For now, only 20 merchants support the payment method and these merchants are in the US only. Google Wallet also enables the users to check their balance through an ATM.
Apple’s Passbook
Apple’s Passbook allows you manage your airline, concerts and movie tickets and coupons as well as loyalty cards. It works through 2D barcode scanning and was introduced along with iOS 6. As soon as you reach the location of supported merchant, you will start receiving time and location based notifications. These updates inform you about the latest offering where you can use your loyalty card and avail the offer. The app uses passes that can only be added to the Passbook that supports them.
The Passbook enables users to use their loyalty card deals and coupons through their passes. However, checking your balance details on ATM is not possible with Passbook. BuilGuard is an alternative choice for supporting payment checks and other related information.
Square Wallet
Square Wallet is a dominant player in the mobile payment app market. It drives its repute because of its creator Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter. Square Wallet is designed for restaurant and business payments of users and works with both iOS and Android devices. The app works similar to Lemon Wallet and differs in features-some that are distinctive to Square Wallet.
Square Wallet is also linked to credit or debit cards but instead of making directs payments through credit cards, it requires merchant cards. This is the primary reason why this app is restricted to limited merchants — just a specified list. Square is strictly location-based which enables the stores to charge you directly on the linked card.
You also have a feature called “Hands-free Checkout” that provides you with the eligibility to add merchants to your favourite list and say your name only at the time of checkout. You get rewards and discounts for making the next visit, and you can also send these gifts and vouchers to other Square Wallet users as well.
Venmo
Venmo is a group outing facilitator. It enables users to send payments to friends for dinner bill to movie tickets. The app is very speedy. It makes possible sending money to account in one night, and it also becomes handy in writing checks. The application works in a similar way to Pay Pal but differs by the exchange between two parties with Venmo accounts.
You can link Venmo to your credit card or debit card account and use it for the payment. Sending payments with Venmo is like writing an email to a friend inclusive of the amount you are required to transfer. It links to Facebook, Foursqure and Twitter where the transaction can be shared as well. The application is completely free but works only with limited number of banks and phone numbers in US. With Venmo, you even have the eligibility to access your account via web but the payments can only be made from phone.
PayPal
PayPal has been in business since years and remains to be the king of payment services. To be a part of Pay Pal payment method, users need a bank account with other qualifications to be met. It makes payment possible for stores, restaurants, and all the merchants that support the system. You can use the app on Android or iOS.
PayPal works in a similar manner to Venmo. It enables sending payments between friends and allows the checking process as well.
Canada, UK, and several other European countries are battling to make mobile payment transactions possible. For now, US actively support the service-Google Wallet and Apple Pay is still the leading players. Mobile payment is going to start revolutionise — as soon as device makers start supporting NFC, marketers adopt to it, and users become well equipped with NFC and Bluetooth.
