Visa has announced plans to make mobile payment-related services broadly available to United States consumers by the end of the year. Central to this effort is Visa’s delivery of mobile applications for the Android platform, which will be available for download on Android-powered handsets and initially available to Chase Visa cardholders.
The first set of services that Visa is planning to develop for Android
will allow Chase Visa cardholders to receive notifications to their
mobile devices about transaction activity on their accounts; obtain
offers from a wide array of merchants; and use the built-in
location-based technology developed by Google to quickly map nearby
merchants where they can redeem Visa offers and locate ATMs that accept
Visa.
Visa mobile services that will be
developed for the Android platform will first be offered to Chase Visa
account holders. Following this initial launch phase, Visa plans to work
with additional card-issuing financial institutions to extend
availability of its mobile services for Android to their Visa account
holders. Visa is also developing a payment application that will enable
consumers with Visa accounts to make mobile payments in retail locations
nationwide, or while on the go, over wireless networks.
”By developing these mobile services for the
Android platform, Visa has taken a major step toward achieving our goal
of combining two of the world’s most powerful
and ubiquitous consumer innovations, electronic payments and mobile
technology,” said Elizabeth Buse, Global Head
of Product at Visa Inc. “Through this effort,
U.S. consumers will, for the first time, be able to download Visa mobile
service applications directly to their handsets. Visa cardholders have
come to expect more from their Visa account than just convenience and
security of payment, and wireless customers expect their mobile devices
to carry a multitude of applications. Extending Visa payments and
services to the mobile device is a natural extension, and makes the
consumer payment experience more convenient, more secure and more
rewarding.”
Visa mobile services developed for the Android platform include:
Alerts: Consumers will receive near real-time notification of
purchase activity based on customized cardholder preferences. The
consumer will be able to personalize the types of alerts delivered to
their mobile device according to pre-selected parameters, such as the
size of the transaction, or whether the transaction is in foreign
currency. Because these alerts are triggered by the transaction as it
passes through the Visa network, consumers will receive notifications
almost immediately, typically before they even leave the store. This
adds a new layer of peace of mind when using Visa, and a new way to
combat fraud.
Offers: Consumers will receive targeted offers from merchants
directly to their phone. These offers –
ranging from discounts to loyalty offers –
could be based on a consumer’s previous
purchase activity. For consumers and merchants alike, this service
will ensure the most relevant offers are sent in a timely manner,
helping increase merchant traffic, loyalty and customer satisfaction.
Locator: The Locator service is expected to integrate with
technology developed by Google, such as Google Maps and Google
location-based services, to show consumers nearby locations of
merchants sending them offers, or of an ATM that accepts Visa. The
location would be called out on a map displayed on the mobile device
screen.
“We’re pleased to
extend the value of Visa to the mobile channel,”
said Buse. “With more than 3 billion mobile
devices already in market today, we have an opportunity deliver the
convenience and security of Visa to consumers around the globe.”
[Yahoo! Finance]
