M&S is poised to start a limited mobile payments trial using new start up technology from Paddle. The trial, due to go live in June, will allow users who sign up to Paddle to buy from selected M&S web sub-sites and mobile sites using a simple one click process.
Paddle is a card storing app that integrates with payment gateways such as Worldpay and allows consumers to register their cards and, online, use a simple QR code scan to pay with mobile off the site. From a mobile site the user simply clicks the ‘Pay with Paddle’ icon, which opens the app where they then enter their CVV code to pay.
See it in action here.
While the online version has two steps including the QR code scanning, a recent demo showed how fast the service is. On mobile it offers something as compelling as Amazon One-click, but which could work on any website that signs up with the company.
Paddle is working with M&S through a deal with the retailer’s newly established Digital Labs, which seeks to work with start ups and innovators to bring the best of digital to the retailers online, mobile and in-store locations. Once live, M&S will help drive consumer uptake of the the Paddle app to assess customer hunger for m-payments, and how well it works in action.
Paddle is already working with some smaller niche retailers to trial the project and is in talks with several other major chains to trial the service. “We are also looking at getting payment gateways to offer Paddle to their existing customers to help gain consumer uptake of the service,” says Ed Lea, founder of Paddle.
WHAT WE THINK: Mobile payments is something that all retailers are assessing, but with a bewildering array of technologies, services and offerings out there it is hard to work out how to move. Many retailers are looking to trails like this to see what grabs the consumer and whether or not consumers actually want to use mobile to pay.
The key drive for m-payments is to show it can offer convenience and ease that is at least the same, if not better, than existing payment services such as cards and, in the real world, cash. Paddle goes someway to doing that, bringing one click payments to mobile retail sites and a very quick and easy way of paying online. It is particularly suited to payments on sites where the user doesn’t have an account. It’s kind of like PayPal would have been had it been launched today, rather than 15 years ago.
