Amazon unveils 'TextBuyIt'

Amazon TextBuyIt, which launched late Tuesday, lets people text the name of a product, its description or its UPC or ISBN to 262966 (that's "Amazon" on the keypad) from anywhere their cellphones work — including from inside physical stores.

If Amazon stocks matching items, the service returns two results at a time. Shoppers can immediately buy one of the first two the selections by texting back the number "1" or "2," or they can ask for more by texting the letter "M."

New TextBuyIt customers will be prompted to enter the e-mail address associated with their existing Amazon account plus a shipping zip code. The service then calls them and walks through the checkout process using an automated voice system. Shoppers get confirmation by text message and e-mail.

From there, the customers can check on order status on Amazon's website."

[via USA Today / Associated Press]

New A's Ballpark to Be High Tech

If Cisco Systems Inc. has its way, the Oakland Athletics' new ballpark in Fremont will be the stadium of the future.

Fans will swipe electronic tickets stored on cell phones. Bleacher bums will view instant replays at their seats with laptop computers. And digital advertising displays will be able to switch images based on the buying habits of the people walking by through data embedded in their cell phones.

... Wireless access is becoming an increasingly common feature at ballparks, but analystssaid a park built with the reported features would be a big step forward.

[AP]

Japan e-money providers agree on common terminal

The providers of four major electronic money systems in Japan have agreed to adopt a common reader/writer terminal from next year. The agreement should open the way for wider acceptance of the systems and improve convenience for users. Infoworld reports.

"All four companies operate systems that are based on the same basic technology -- Sony Corp.'s contactless Felica smartcard platform -- but they require that retailers install a dedicated reader/writer terminal for each e-money system. As a result, it's common to find stores that accept only one of the several e-money brands in operation.

Under the new agreement, which was announced on Wednesday in Tokyo, the common terminal will be rolled out from January."

P2Pizza

Cypyhermint a leading provider of secure electronic payment solutions, and Chris' Pizza of Marlborough, MA, have teamed together to conduct a home delivered pizza service with a mobile payment method dubbed "P2Pizza".

If you live in Marlborough, MA you can order your favorite pizza for delivery. When delivered to your door 30 minutes later, the driver will process your payment with his cell phone. All you have to do is add the tip and confirm the amount on your cell phone. Both parties get an instant confirmation. [Press Release]

Related:

-- Ordering pizza by SMS - (2004) A new payment method being offered by Waltham Pizza is giving new meaning to the phrase "call out for pizza." The restaurant is one of the first in the western suburbs to let customers pay with their mobile phones.

-- Ordering pizza by SMS - (2004) u can now order a pizza from the comfort of your mobile phone - if you live in Australia.

Your cell phone is so money

By next year, you'll be able to pay simply by swiping your cell phone a few inches from a cash register, with a new wireless standard called Near Field Communication. CNN reports.

"An NFC chip in your phone will send your credit-card number -- stored on your phone or on the chip -- by way of short-distance radio waves.

Unlike radio-frequency identification (RFID) and other existing contactless payment systems, NFC chips allow two-way information exchange by rolling an RF transmitter and reader into one five-millimeter package.

An electronic reader at the checkout will decode the number and ring up your purchase.

You don't even have to buy a new phone. When it hits stores next spring, the miniSD-card-size adapter from SanDisk can add NFC to any smartphone with a Symbian operating system when it hits stores next spring.

The first pay-by-phone option should roll out later this year, with more applications to follow."

Surf Open Prize Money given over Cell Phone

According to the Mercury News , tech start-up Secure Wireless Transfers has launched its new "KushCash'' mobile payment system at the US Open of Surfing , by giving the surfing prize money over cell phones.

"Ideally, bronzed and muscled surfers would hold up their cell phones instead of a check to show off their winnings to the crowd, theorized SWT chief Peter Hewitt."

[See also SurfingtheMag Message Board [

Shopping by Phone, on the Move

The New York Times reports that "Condé Nast's Lucky Magazine will offer readers of its September issue a chance to send text messages from their mobile phones to buy merchandise from 18 marketers and retailers, which include Avon, Liz Claiborne, Estée Lauder, L'Oréal, Target and Unilever.

The "Live Buy It" program is another sign of how ardently mainstream advertisers and media companies are pursuing the concept of mobile marketing".

Here is how the PayPal Text2Buy service is meant to work:

The cellphone user sends a text message with the code word to the number. An automated call asks for a personal identification number and confirms the order; a receipt is sent in an e-mail message. The product is shipped to the cellphone user."

Related:

-- Taking Pictures of Magazine Ads - Jane magazine is offering giveways to readers who use their cellphones to photograph ads, in a promotion called Jane Talks Back

-- Product lets you call on advertisers - Mobot's technology which enables cameraphone users to respond to magazine ads and special offers, has forged new marketing deals with three magazines: ElleGirl, Vibe, and Vibe Vixen.

goMobo: SMS Your Order, Cut the Lines

Justin Oberman walking in Manhattan, stumbled on gomobo, a new text messaging service that allows users to order and pay for meals via SMS (mostly in Mahattan for now) ). He gives then a write-up on mopocket.

WAY Systems, card payments using mobile phones

WAY Systems, a company making it possible for merchants to take debit/credit cards using an adaptor for their mobile phones. [via Smart Mobs]

In their own words:

WAY Systems ’ Mobile Transaction Terminal is the industry’s first 'out-of-the-box' solution to hit the market, enabling global resellers to quickly provide merchants with a pre-activated wireless data service that is ready to process transactions via popular processors upon delivery.

Available through a worldwide community of Independent Sales Organizations, (ISOs), Agents, and partners network, WAY Systems’ MTT products and services are helping mobile merchants virtually anywhere their business takes them.

Paypal Mobile

According to Engadget via PSFK, paypal is offering a mobile phone version of their excellent service.

In their own words: You now have the ability to send money, check your balance and view your transactions from the convenience of your phone.

Related article: PayPal to offer mobile payments

Related service: - TextPayMe, A New Mobile Payment Solution

'Lend me 2 Euro' service

160characters.org reports on a Spanish operator who is launching a text messaging system for pre-pay customers, enabling them to request an instant automated loan if they are temporarily unable to buy phone credits.

'Lend me 2 Euro' - service works by sending the word " anticipo" to short code 4484 to receive the automated credits. The loan is re-payed when they next buy a top-up."

Using Your Cellphone as a Credit Card

Taking a service that is growing in Asia, Motorola Inc. is planning to launch a system that will allow people to purchase products simply by waving a cellphone with an embedded chip over scanners at the cash register. The WSJ reports.

"Motorola is the first telecom-equipment maker to attempt to launch a large-scale mobile-wallet service in the U.S. One of the hurdles to overcome hurdle is getting retailers to participate and in some cases to invest in upgrading their checkout scanners to communicate with phones equipped with embedded chips.

... People will also be able to use the service to transfer money to each other. Motorola executives say the feature could save consumers money if the carriers charge lower fees than banks for money sent abroad.

There are other limited experiments in pay-by-phone services. Cingular Wireless has been running a trial in Atlanta's Philips Arena that allows season-ticket holders to use Nokia 3220 mobile phones equipped with a special chip from Philips Electronics NV to purchase food and drinks during events. The consumers must have Chase-issued Visa credit-card accounts."

TextPayMe, A New Mobile Payment Solution

TextPayMe announces the launch of a new secure mobile payment solution, making it easier than ever to send and receive money -- using nothing more than your mobile phone.

In public beta phase of testing, TextPayMe allows users to send money via text messaging. To deliver a payment, a user simply enters the amount he or she wishes to send and the recipient's cell phone number (or personal alias) -- the transaction is instantaneous.

By providing a convenient and secure solution that works with virtually every mobile phone model across all major carriers in the United States, TextPayMe allows customers to start instantly -- without having to install applications or wait for cumbersome downloads. [via MarketWire ]

A button on the TextPayMe's website invites users to buy and sell on Craigslist.

Currently, TextPayMe users are limited to sending and receiving a maximum of USD $500 a month.

Japanese companies form 'mobile wallet' alliance

According to Reuters, Japan's credit card companies, formed an alliance on Tuesday to promote a standard that will allow use of mobile phones in lieu of credit cards regardless of the issuer.

"Users of most popular credit card issuers would be able to use their phones to pay for items at any store equipped with a QUICPay scanner. The amount of purchase would be charged on their regular credit card bills.

The so-called "wallet phones" are ultimately intended to replace cash, credit cards, identification cards and electronic plane or train tickets."

Meterless parking on trial

Wellington City Council in New Zealand will trial a meterless parking system next year that will let people pay for parking without stepping out of their car, writes Stuff.

The "Phone2Park" system, developed by Parking Solutions, will automatically debit a customer's pre-paid mobile phone account when they send a text to a shortcode, removing the need for parking meters or pay and display machines.

Customers will text in the parking zone, now shown on pay-and-display machines, and how long they want to park for. During the trial, people will sign up online with a credit card and will receive a sticker in the mail to put on their windscreens. Parking wardens can radio in the sticker number to a central location to check if the driver has paid for parking.

If the system is adopted city-wide, wardens will be issued with handheld computers to wirelessly log in and check cars.

Cell phones as currency

A very interesting article by Dave Birch in The Guardian this morning, on cell phones used as currency.

"If you live in rural Africa, your payment options are pretty limited and so, therefore, is your participation in the wider economy. If you don't live within a hundred miles of a bank, don't have a cheque book and have never even seen a credit card or a PC, then how do you send money (perhaps for goods you want from a market) to someone else?

In that environment, mobile phones provide an easy and convenient mechanism: you buy a scratch card, scratch off the panel to get the voucher number and then text that number to your counterparty. Voila! You've now sent $20, or whatever, a few hundred miles across the country for the price of a text message. And the person you sent it to can start using it right away.

In some parts of Africa, mobile phone scratch cards have become an acceptable means of exchange for bribing officials. That makes scratch cards or, more particularly, the pre-paid airtime that they give access to, a kind of currency.

According to the Economist, not only can you use pre-paid airtime to pay bribes but you can use it to pay bribes remotely. It gives the example of an office worker whose daughter had been detained in immigration. She bought a scratch card and sent the voucher number to the relevant official, avoiding the trouble of having to collect up the cash and go to the airport: thereby saving time and money."

Ring up a rack spot

Bicycle Parking Network allows bikers to reserve and pay for bike storage via cellphone, according to Iconoculture.

"Users locate available lockers online and then use their cells to reserve space and retrieve access codes for drop-off and pickup. Customer accounts are linked to cell numbers, enabling automatic monthly billing.

Lockers cost $2 per day, plus a 10% “convenience fee.” The service is available in Denver, at UCLA, and at select stations of San Francisco's BART and Los Angeles' Metropolitan Transit Authority systems."

Now you can buy electricity via sms

The Tshwane Metro in South Africa has launched a new system for the buying of pre-paid electricity units. The system called cellpower is the first of its kind in the country and uses cellphone technology to allow people to buy electricity, according to SABCNews.

"The system will see vendors buying electricity and selling it to consumers using cellular and SMS technology. The system means that consumers will have easier access to prepaid tokens as the vendors will be closer to where they live and will be open after hours".

Mobile-phone minutes as a tradeable currency in Kenya

Safaricom, Kenya's largest mobile phone company, has launched a new service allowing subscribers to buy prepaid phone cards which enable them to transfer any selected amount of surplus minutes to other subscribers, using SMS.

You can pay a supplier with it, or even create a little bank of phone call credits to sell to others. This new cyber currency can be sent anywhere in the country at the press of a button, without needing a bank account or incurring high bank charges. The mobile phone is multiplying its revolutionary impact on the lives of the poor, giving them facilities once available only to the rich.

(via World Changing, BBC News)

Florida City Tests m-Parking meters

Drivers lacking coins now may use cell phones to feed parking meters in Coral Gables, reports Reuters.

"The automated system allows drivers who subscribe to simply dial in from their cell phone, punch in the number assigned to their parking spot, and the required costs — plus a 25-cent usage fee — will be billed to their credit card. When leaving, subscribers call back and end the billing cycle.

The Miami suburb began offering the system this month on its 4,573 meters; so far, more than 250 people have subscribed.

Related m-parking elsewhere:

-- UC gets m-parking - The University of California-Santa Barbara with help from IBM, overhauled its parking system, enabling mobile users to pay for their parking meters with their cell phones. (February 2005)

-- Sun-powered parking meters for city - Solar-powered parking meters capable of accepting credit cards and payment via mobile phone are to be installed in central Sydney. (February 2005)

-- M-Parking in Vienna The Austrian capital has just completed its first year of allowing residents to pay for any of its 126,000 short-term parking spaces by mobile phone, under what it calls its M-Parking system (October 2004).

-- Parking Fees to Be Paid by SMS -Sofia municipality (Bulgaria) will introduce a new "Pay and display" parking fee system (October 2004)

-- Austrians purchase car-parking tickets by mobile phones - About 50,000 drivers are now purchasing their car-parking tickets by mobile phone and SMS in Vienna and five other cities in Austria. "M-parking" was introduced a year ago by German IT services provider Siemens Business Services and mobile operator Mobilkom. (October 2004) Austria.

-- mParking - The first scheme in the UK which allows drivers to pay for parking by mobile phone has been launched in Scotland (October 2003).

-- Sydney Council today launched its new mobile phone payment parking system, which not only allows motorists to pay for metered parking using their mobile phone - but also lets them know via SMS that their meter is due to expire. (March 19, 2004)

"Wallet Phone" survey

NTT DoCoMo recently conducted a survey on RFID-chipped FeliCa phones aka "wallet phones." It was an web-based survey and 1,605 people (male: 1,152, female: 453) answered. RFID in Japan reports.

"How often do people use "wallet phones"? Once aweek: 26%, once in every 2weeks: 15%, three times a week: 14%. Overall, 58% people use at least once a week. 13% people don't use the RFID payment feature of their phones.

Where did they use it? Convenience stores: 77%, Coffee shops: 29%, book stores and rental shops: 22%. More than 90% people said they want to use it in the future.

DoCoMo sold more than 3.34 million "wallet phones" by the end of April 2005."

Park by phone

Pay-by-phone parking has hit London at last. Clever tech developed by ParkMobile lets harassed motorists pay for the exact amount of time they spend in a parking bay just by making a mobile phone call.[via The Red Ferret]

When you arrive at a parking space call the pre-set Parkmobile number on your phone. You don't need to speak - just key in a three-digit code corresponding to the section of road or car park where you are parking. The numbers will be clearly visible on lamp columns and pay and display machines. When you get back - make one more very short call. This will automatically bring your parking stay to an end. It will calculate your charge and add it your account.

Phones as Credit Cards in Japan

NTT DoCoMo, Japan's biggest mobile phone company, is in the final stages of talks to expand its mobile payment services with at least one leading credit card company, Sumitomo Mitsui Card, Japan's second-biggest credit card firm with 12.8 million subscribers, reports The Guardian.

"If successful, DoCoMo's 49 million subscribers will be able to use phones as credit cards.

DoCoMo hopes the phones will replace cash, credit cards, ID cards and train tickets. By next year, one railway firm plans to allow handsets to be used as commuter passes."

Subscribe to Playboy TV by SMS

Playboy TV UK is the first broadcaster to allow customers to pay for their TV subscription via premium rate text messages, according to 160characters.org.

"By texting "go" to 89191, Sky customers can now subscribe to a six channel package including Playboy TV, the Adult Channel, Spice Extreme and three Climax3 channels. They then pay for their subscription via their mobile phone bill which reflects charges for twenty premium rate text messages at UK £1.50 each per month."

Buy An iPod From Your Phone

While Apple's Japanese branch may be taking its time launching a local version of the iTunes Music Store, at least iPod fans can now order one of the company's music players directly from their mobile phones, reports The Register via Billboard Post Play.

"The Apple Stor Mobile is accessible through a dozen AU and NTT handsets".

SK Telecom offers billing via cellphone

Cellphone users can now get their phone bills through the wireless Internet, SK Telecom said yesterday, reports JoongAng Daily. "Customers will receive a text message every month letting them know they can view their bill."

And nice:

"Also, with Green Korea, an environmental activist group, SK Telecom will participate in a campaign to reduce paper billing.

For every customer who starts receiving their bills via e-mail or mobile phone,the company will donate 100 won to Green Korea. The funds will be used to plant trees or for projects that give underprivileged people a chance to visit forests."

SK Telecom said that if 100,000 out of its 19 million users apply for electronic billing, it can save 21 tons of paper and protect 360 30-year-old trees every year.

It will also help the company reduce its mailing and billing costs."

UK's TV Channel 5 to sell legal TV downloads - paid by SMS

TV channel Five has become the first UK broadcaster to launch a legal video download store, where users can download TV programmes to their PCs for a pay-as-you-go fee, reports Netimperative.

And of interest to this column, "an SMS payment service is also provided, aimed to appeal to younger fast cars fans with no access to a credit card, which will also cost £1.50 per download."

Currently , there are four free Fifth Gear videos available for download from www.five.tv/fifthgear.

SMS warnings save motorists' parking fines in Sydney

A new range of meters installed across Sydney, will from now onwards inform vehicle owners about their parking time limit on SMS and save them from paying heavy fines, reports NedIndia123.

"The new meters mean motorists are less likely to get a parking ticket because they accept payment by coins, credit and debit cards", Sydney Morning Herald quoted one of the spokesperson of the city council, as saying.

"As well as sending a warning text message five to 10 minutes before the parking period expires, some of the solar-powered meters give motorists the choice of topping up their time via their mobiles. But they will still be unable to top up past the time limit on the space"

Related m-parking elsewhere:

-- UC gets m-parking - The University of California-Santa Barbara with help from IBM, overhauled its parking system, enabling mobile users to pay for their parking meters with their cell phones. (February 2005)

-- Sun-powered parking meters for city - Solar-powered parking meters capable of accepting credit cards and payment via mobile phone are to be installed in central Sydney. (February 2005)

-- M-Parking in Vienna The Austrian capital has just completed its first year of allowing residents to pay for any of its 126,000 short-term parking spaces by mobile phone, under what it calls its M-Parking system (October 2004).

-- Parking Fees to Be Paid by SMS -Sofia municipality (Bulgaria) will introduce a new "Pay and display" parking fee system (October 2004)

-- Austrians purchase car-parking tickets by mobile phones - About 50,000 drivers are now purchasing their car-parking tickets by mobile phone and SMS in Vienna and five other cities in Austria. "M-parking" was introduced a year ago by German IT services provider Siemens Business Services and mobile operator Mobilkom. (October 2004) Austria.

-- mParking - The first scheme in the UK which allows drivers to pay for parking by mobile phone has been launched in Scotland (October 2003).

-- Sydney Council today launched its new mobile phone payment parking system, which not only allows motorists to pay for metered parking using their mobile phone - but also lets them know via SMS that their meter is due to expire. (March 19, 2004)

Mobile wallets start to take shape

One day you will be able to leave your wallet at home. New ways of paying for goods using mobiles are starting to emerge. Joia Shillingford reports for the BBC.

[...] According to AT&Kearney and the Judge Institute of Management Studies: "Mobile payments are growing in acceptance among wireless users, with more than a quarter saying they are confident making payments on their mobile phone."

[...] Mobile payment in Japan is already more advanced and provides a glimpse of how things could develop in the West in future. (Edy chip, Sony FeliCa chip)

[...] In Europe, Simpay, a new payment scheme for mobile phone content, has gained the support of Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange, Telefonica, Proximus and Amena, Simpay claims to be the first service that has "critical mass".

[...] Mobile payment seems likely to take off as a convenient way of paying for small items without going to a cash machine.

But there could be risks in using them for larger items. Already people have been killed for their mobile handsets and if they contained stored credit, this might become more common.

Fingerprint identification on phones may also not be much of a protection. Presumably it means the thief would have to kidnap the owner as well as the phone in order to spend the money on it".

UC gets m-parking

The University of California-Santa Barbara with help from IBM, overhauled its parking system a year and a half ago, enabling mobile users to pay for their parking meters with their cell phones.

Now, experts expect that more people will dig into their pockets for a phone rather than a quarter to pay for a parking spot — at colleges, businesses or just on the street. Installations are in place in Europe and in a growing number of North American cities, including Seattle; Vancouver, Canada; and, soon, Minneapolis, reports USA Today.

"Hard statistics are difficult to come by. But Neil Podmore of Vancouver-based Verrus, which is involved in the pay-by-cell parking technology, estimates about 100,000 spots are being paid for by phone in North America and 250,000 worldwide. Podmore says he thinks the worldwide total will reach 500,000 spaces by year's end".