You are reading the report ‘Mobile payments 2010 – Market analysis and overview’. This
report is written and published by Innopay in cooperation with Telecompaper and is
endorsed by Mobey Forum.
We are witnessing the second wave of interest in mobile payments. Like the first, this
second wave is characterised by the launch of a large number of pilots, utilising a variety of
channels and technologies. With high perceived demand and accessible technology for
realisation, the growth in the number of pilots around the globe is now accelerating, with a
notable increased focus on (local) money transfer and remittances.
Despite the flurry, sustainable commercial success is rarely achieved. In developed
countries with well developed and redundant transaction infrastructures the effect of
failure will be negligible. Better luck next time. But, in developing countries where
alternative transaction infrastructure is lacking, failure of mobile payment initiatives could
result in serious long term value dilution of the mobile channel. If the mobile payment
channel is tainted by lack of trust or reliability as a result of cutting corners in pilots, there
is no alternative channel for financial services delivery to fall back on, relegating these
economies back to square one. Service providers and regulators in all countries involved
should take notice of this and ensure that every measure is taken to get mobile payments –
in pilot or production- ‘first time right’.
The aim of this report is to contribute to the further understanding and structuring of
mobile payments, allowing decision-makers to better find their way in this complex matter.
It is intended for the entire mobile payments industry, including merchants, financial
institutions, mobile network operators, handset manufacturers, scheme organisations and
policy makers.
The report consists of two parts. Part 1 elaborates on the trends, developments and issues
in the field of mobile payments. Part 2 provides an overview of more than 150 mobile
payment initiatives from around the world.
All details concerning mobile payment methods and specific mobile payment products are
based on information that was publicly available when this report was written during the
summer of 2009. Although this report does not claim to provide a complete description of
the market, it is felt that it presents an overview of the main and relevant developments.