Mobile shopping could become the next “online shopping”
Jennifer McClelland | RSS | 39 Comments
More and more Americans are starting to use their cell phones to make purchases. The main users are men and young adults.
A study conducted by Harris Interactive for Billing Revolution, a mobile credit card security firm, indicated that half of those surveyed (of just over 2,000 individuals between April 29th and May 1st) thought buying something using their cell phone was “somewhat safe” and a quarter thought it is “completely safe.”
Nearly half of those surveyed, 46%, would shop using their phones if credit card security was not an issue. Ironically, merchants as well are always looking for online payment solutions that are dependable and secure.
Now this isn’t talking about calling in somewhere like a catalog to shop, it is talking about actually pulling up a browser on your phone and doing “internet shopping” on your phone.
I would be quite likely to buy something using my phone’s browser. I would be more likely to do that than to do some kind of call-in shopping service. The reason for that is I don’t know who is listening to my calls. Yesterday while I was waiting for a class to start, there was a girl booking her plane ticket over the phone in the hall and gave out her credit card number. Everyone in earshot heard her loud and clear. That is why I would not consider ordering something over the phone ever in a public place.
I’m a stickler for credit card security. Even when I go to Wal-Mart (yes, I do shop at Wal-Mart, it is the only place within 30 minutes of my house to do shopping for a reasonable price it seems), I tend to cover my card with my hand when I’m scanning it. I have just heard too many horror stories about people having their credit card numbers taken because when they had their card out, someone took a picture of it with their camera phone.
There is a growing market for mobile shopping according to the survey, but I don’t really see the difference in mobile shopping versus online shopping. You would have to go through the exact same automated process. However, as more and more people spend lots of time on their cell phones, I’m sure mobile companies will find a way to take advantage of the trend.
The idea is to convince consumers that their phones are safe and that they can be used for more than making phone calls, sending text messages, and casual browsing.
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Tags: mobile credit card, credit card numbers, harris interactive
Matt | Thu, May 28 2009
Mobile shopping will definitely become more popular over the next couple of years mostly because of convenience and speed. People will enjoy the fact that they can do most of the things that they would have to sit down with a laptop or desktop to do.
I believe that mobile shopping won’t replace the need for a sit down solution like a laptop anytime soon. People still enjoy being able to have a big screen to look at when making shopping decisions.
Giomar from Sample Resumes | Thu, May 28 2009
There will always be a problem with security when it comes to any form of online shopping, however as things progress I am sure that we will be able to make online shopping just as safe or safer than real shopping.
lhurey from Gadgets and Software | Thu, May 28 2009
Personally I don’t think security will be a problem, people I know aren’t afraid to use their phones for buying things, especially all the apps that you can get with for phone. It makes the security thing really overrated in my opinion.
Jenifer | Thu, May 28 2009
Is it really true that if there is no security problem of credit cards then people would prefer online shopping?
Nicolas Prudhon | Fri, May 29 2009
Yes, the issue of giving your credit card number out loud in public place is still an issue for many.
I think that things could change if services like PayPal where no credit card number is required would move to the mobile phone platform.
Another issue that tend to bother me was the slow speed and variety of sites designed for mobile browsing, however here again, huge progress are being made, though I’m not ready to engage in online shopping over my phone yet, it can bring interesting perspectives in my opinion.
liza | Mon, Jun 01 2009
It’s already implemented by major online shops, but people are not into it due of the mobile phones problems. The iphone has a good interface to shop online and navigate between pages.
Amy | Thu, Jun 25 2009
I think that the major issue with trying to get people to shop on their mobiles is the fact that websites that are designed for display on phones are often small and not user friendly, and websites that are designed for computer use don’t display well, so you’re caught between a rock and a hard place.
When progress is made there’s no doubt that this is going to be a very profitable niche, but for now I think that the effort and money people are putting into development is going to take a fair amount of time to pay off.
Nicolas Prudhon | Sat, Jun 27 2009
Compatibility with different phones may just be an issue here. What I mean is like Liza said, the iPhone has a good interface, well if you are required to buy an iPhone to go along with your mobile shopping facility, that’s rather expensive for the convenience…
Niite | Mon, Jun 29 2009
Online shopping hasn’t developed much here in India but it sure is gaining momentum and the mobile vendors like airltel are getting into the mobile marketing thick and fast.
Nimmy from hidden security camera | Wed, Jul 15 2009
Online shopping is a current trend of today’s lifestyle, people are so busy to move there and shopping, so they used to go for mobile shopping, but it’s important that the interface should be very secured and a also friendly, one can use the iPhone for this purpose.
Praveeny from Freshers jobs | Wed, Aug 05 2009
Nowadays the online payment trend is growing rapidly due to the shortage of time. If we wanna buy something from a store which is very far away from our reach we could easily pay the cost through online transactions.
John from Utility Warehouse | Sat, Aug 08 2009
I’m just thinking about the practicalities here. Phones have already improved a lot but the majority of people still have the bog standard black and white phone with multitap keypad i.e a phone! For this to take off there will have to be a huge rise in the number of people with full qwerty keyboards. I’m sure it will come, but we might be a few years off right now.
Ash from Fast Cars | Thu, Aug 20 2009
Typically, websites that are designed for display on phones are often small and not very user friendly, and websites that are designed for computer users tend to have poor aesthetics.
John Merrit | Wed, Aug 26 2009
There is clearly a move toward mobile surfing in many areas including shopping. I prefer to shop from the quietness of home with my computer, taking time to find good deals. But I understand that more and more people will use their phone to make their purchases, especially in the big hectic cities. Design wise, this adds one level of complexity to the entire web design process.
Steve from Florida Web Design | Wed, Aug 26 2009
Designing for computers and phones will soon be part of normal operating procedure when the cell phone industry makes some more break throughs in the not too distant future. The iphone is an incredible piece of technology and what really makes it shine is the community supporting its apps. I look forward to seeing how this forces other phone manufactures to complete against it.
Paul from Pink samsung phones | Thu, Aug 27 2009
I’m afraid i’m a little old fashioned when it comes to things like this. Whilst I believe that it will become very popular, i just can’t be bothered with trying to access the internet with such a small screen.
JT from Custom Magnets | Thu, Aug 27 2009
Im a rather impulsive buyer, but I still can’t see being so impulsive that I would need to shop on my phone! lol Computers yes, but phone screens are just too small to show the detail that triggers my impulsiveness.
Adam from Free Bingo | Fri, Aug 28 2009
JT, you should use the iPhone for shopping – it’s real fun.
also, I’m using the cell-phone (number) to buy service at: fileflyer and other sites. it’s easy and convenient.
Phil from Free PS3 Slim | Sun, Aug 30 2009
I’m really surprised the amount of people that would do this is so high. I shop online a lot but could not imagine using a phone to do it unless I really knew what I wanted, then I guess I would lol.
Peter | Sun, Aug 30 2009
I can really see mobile shopping growing in popularity. Many of my friends now phones that do just about everything, youtube, facebook, myspace etc. and yes, they even allow you to make a phone call. I used my friends iphone the other day to order something online, it took me ages and was really fiddly and I found the screen was so small, reading hurt my eyes. It’s not for me personally, but I can understand the appeal.
Tony | Tue, Sep 01 2009
I like the idea to be able to shop from my phone if need be. What if your waiting in the dentists office and get an email for a great deal on an item you need or like and its time sensitive? I don’t have to rush to a computer or to the store, I can place my order right from the waiting room on my phone. How cool is that?
Liz | Tue, Sep 08 2009
I use my iphone and the apps for ebay and other specific stores I regularly shop at for my online purchases. Its fast and easy and I love it.
Tanmay | Tue, Sep 15 2009
I Think there are still a few cases in which physical shopping is better then online or mobile shopping
1) Shopping online is not always free as far as shipping
2) It takes a lot longer than driving to purchase the item you really want
3) You get to actually experience/try out the items physically rather than trusting the glorified pictures posted online.
4) The experience of shopping is actually enjoyable
Jack | Sat, Sep 19 2009
I don’t know if mobile shopping will be beneficial. The biggest issue is seeing the item up close. I like to see and feel the thing I’m buying before purchasing. I really dislike buying expensive items online, just doesn’t seem good to me.
Tanmay | Tue, Sep 22 2009
Everyone is happy with this new method of shopping . People like online shopping because it is easy, you can buy your favorite products from the comforts of your home, it is cheap, since there are lesser marketing and other costs.
ricky | Tue, Sep 22 2009
I feel mobile shopping will be a great help. Most importantly, it will save the time of commuting and make shopping more convenient than ever before. We don’t have to rush to the store to buy our desired product. Just call and order.
Eddie | Wed, Sep 23 2009
I assume this article refers to smart phones (like iPhone and Blackberry) and not ordinary cell phones? Although my cell phone has a rudimentary browser and I can check email with it, ordering anything with it would be a nightmare and so I’d never do that.
On the other hand, iPhone browsers almost look like mini versions of real browsers, so I don’t think this trend is very surprising. Just like now more and more people check email, users twitter, etc from the cell phones, they also buy things. I’m sure they also check their bank records more frequently from cell phones and pretty much do everything they’ve normally done on their home PCs.
Tate | Wed, Sep 23 2009
Are the wireless networks over phones secure enough for people to want to give out sensitive information like that?
Avo | Wed, Sep 23 2009
I have an iphone and connect to the internet through it daily. I’m yet to make a purchase using my credit card however…I just dont feel confident enough yet. Im still coming to grips with using my credit card online (which I do very hesitantly and only when I cant buy what I’m looking for locally). I think buying via the phone connection will become popular – but only once its been further tested and when many more people have phones capable of doing it.
codeyeti | Sat, Sep 26 2009
Credit cards are definitely a mixed bag when it comes to security. In some ways it’s more secure than cash – If you get robbed, you can just call up your credit card company and cancel. But at the same time it makes it possible to get robbed without even realizing it. All someone needs to purchase products as you is the information in plain sight on your card.
Angie | Sat, Sep 26 2009
I definitely feel your credit card paranoia. I had my wallet stolen out of my purse a few years ago and the crooks went wild with my cards. Ever since I have been a wee bit on the protective side. All of my cards now have “Ask For ID” written in permanent marker in the signature area. Not that that would help completely help as most places are now swipe it yourself, but it makes me feel like I am doing something.
Jack | Wed, Oct 07 2009
I don’t see any difference between browsing through my mobile phone and through my laptop for example. The only difference is the size of the screen. I will definitely try mobile shopping but I will be sure that my credit card is secure.
lee | Thu, Oct 15 2009
With the cell phone technology booming and such phones becoming more and more like hand held computers its no surprise shopping online via the cell phone has taken off so well.
Tanmay | Fri, Oct 23 2009
I think online shopping is an amazing way to shop for your daily needs. You do not have to take out time for going all the way to street shops. So, you would not have any hassle of dealing with the salesmen. All the online products are available at competitive prices with mind blowing deals.
Peter | Wed, Nov 18 2009
Now saying out your credit card number loud is not wise at all. That is a different thing. But I have my apprehensions regarding mobile shopping. As more and more people adopt smartphones, as is seen from the growing number of smartphones in the market, the level of performance and utilities in the phones also increases. At the same time, it also gives way to more and more security risks. This is because viruses and trojans and other destructive material written for computers are now being written for mobile platforms as well and where there is money transaction involved, there is always a chance of hacking and other techniques to steal data.
As for me, I am happy using old currency notes for shopping
Simjo | Thu, Nov 19 2009
Yup! what you wrote is correct. As mobile shopping is booming day by day online shopping is becoming mobilized.
ainsley | Mon, Nov 23 2009
With more and more smart phones on the market I can see this becoming more and more relevant. At the moment though I will stick to a good ole fashioned Desktop/laptop.
taylor | Thu, Dec 03 2009
I think that the main difference between mobile shopping and traditional online shopping (at least from the store’s perspective) is that mobile shopping might encourage people to buy things ‘on the go’… There’s less of a process there and it may be easier to convince people to buy impulse items.
Jay Skinner | Fri, Dec 11 2009
There is going to be a day that will happen sooner than later) that all the cell phones will be considered “smart phones”, with internet connection, email, etc. I am in the real estate business and there are a programs to download that can give you the latest MLS listings based on your criteria. This is also happening in other areas, people receiving daily offers to buy online.