Mobiles to become digital wallets

Glaucus · 3 Sep 2007 at 23:50

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6764979.stm

The UK's big five mobile phone firms have switched on a payment system that turns handsets into digital wallets.

Called PayForIt, the scheme is designed for those buying goods and services with a value of up to £10.

The industry hopes it will be used to pay for ringtones, train tickets, parking fees and eventually as a payment system on web shops and sites.

Any cash spent via the scheme will automatically be added on to a customer's phone bill.

YAY, now that a standard has been decided, we might see the birth of phone payment. I can't wait. £10 to begin with sucks. Hopefully in the near future I'll be able to ditch the wallet. Now they just need to turn the phone into a key and I'll be way happy.

_PD_ · 3 Sep 2007 at 23:50

Until you lose it.

PardonTheWait · 3 Sep 2007 at 23:51

This way you'll be properly, properly ****ed if you lose your phone or someone steals it.

I hope they implement some pretty hefty security alongside this as it grows.

Glaucus · 3 Sep 2007 at 23:51

Cobra said:
Until you lose it.

Same can be said about your wallet though. The less I have to carry the better.

Mohinder said:
I hope they implement some pretty hefty security alongside this as it grows.

I'm sure that'll come with the first implementation.

georges · 3 Sep 2007 at 23:53

Seems quite a good idea for a backup, for example if you lose your wallet, or run out of money and can't find a cashpoint for a taxi, bus or train home.

However, I'm not going to rush out of the shops to buy one, put it that way.

Maybe they could do something similar to the fingerprint scanners on IBM laptops?

How exactly does it work then? Do you need a special phone, or do you text a special number depending on what it is you want?

Mr_White · 3 Sep 2007 at 23:55

Yeah, it's such a hassle carrying around money, it's about time someone thought of a solution.

Oh wait, we already have debit/credit cards.

Useless idea.

Greenlizard0 · 3 Sep 2007 at 23:55

AcidHell2 said:
Same can be said about your wallet though. The less I have to carry the better.

I'm sure that'll come with the first implementation.

Hmm...I suppose, though saying that I feel a bit more secure with my stuff spread on me in different pockets. If one pocket is e.g. picked then at least I know that 2/3 of phone or wallet or keys are still going to be there.

What'd be a good idea (for my case anyway) is if you could almost like have two phones, so if one goes missing, you can e.g. start cancelling your accounts using the other. Or perhaps if there was like a universal login system, so you could cancel your details using somebody elses thing.

_PD_ · 3 Sep 2007 at 23:56

AcidHell2 said:
Same can be said about your wallet though. The less I have to carry the better.

If I lose my wallet, I can still phone up a mate to lend me some cash/pick me up.
If I lose my key, I can phone the gf to let me in.
If I lose my phone, I can still get home and ring my insurance to get a new one.

If all three are within the same one item, what are you going to do when you lose that and it's 3AM on a sunday morning?

Morba · 3 Sep 2007 at 23:56

mobile wallet was tested in another form quite a while ago, while not to this extent, it was a clear intention of the way things were heading. this was a good 5 years ago.

Glaucus · 3 Sep 2007 at 23:57

Cobra said:
If all three are within the same one item, what are you going to do when you lose that and it's 3AM on a sunday morning?

do what people use to do before mobiles where around.
It's a great Idea and I expect we will all be using it within 20 years.

Xinn · 3 Sep 2007 at 23:59

Haven't they been doing this in Japan for ages?

Glaucus · 3 Sep 2007 at 23:59

R34P3R said:
Haven't they been doing this in Japan for ages?

I think so, they get all the cool things first.

benjo · 4 Sep 2007 at 00:01

When i was in New Zealand, you could pay for your parking ticket via text

I think you just text your registration to a number, and it charges on top of your normal rate. Seemed like a good idea then.

Morba · 4 Sep 2007 at 00:02

Cobra said:
If all three are within the same one item, what are you going to do when you lose that and it's 3AM on a sunday morning?

its for purchases under £10. so you would still carry a wallet with some larger notes in it, no?

_PD_ · 4 Sep 2007 at 00:02

AcidHell2 said:
do what people use to do before mobiles where around.
It's a great Idea and I expect we will all be using it within 20 years.

What? That doesn't answer my question!

I asked what you are going to do when you lose your key, wallet, and phone all at the same time (as you want them to all be one item).

I know you can cope without a phone.

Glaucus · 4 Sep 2007 at 00:03

Cobra said:
What? That doesn't answer my question!

I asked what you are going to do when you lose your key, wallet, and phone all at the same time (as you want them to all be one item).

I know you can cope without a phone.

use a land line, borrow someone elses mobile. hitch-hike. I could easily get home..

_PD_ · 4 Sep 2007 at 00:03

Morba said:
its for purchases under £10. so you would still carry a wallet with some larger notes in it, no?

AcidHell2 is on about an eventual system where key, phone and wallet are all combined (i.e. no upper limit on purchases).

unknowndomain · 4 Sep 2007 at 00:07

Cobra said:
If I lose my wallet, I can still phone up a mate to lend me some cash/pick me up.
If I lose my key, I can phone the gf to let me in.
If I lose my phone, I can still get home and ring my insurance to get a new one.

If all three are within the same one item, what are you going to do when you lose that and it's 3AM on a sunday morning?

Use a pay phone and reverse it.

_PD_ · 4 Sep 2007 at 00:07

AcidHell2 said:
use a land line, borrow someone elses mobile. hitch-hike. I could easily get home..

OK, now think of the number of times you or your mates have lost or broken phones on a night out.

People living in cities will have 10s of people asking to use their landlines every night! What are you going to do with things like driving license, tickets, railcards etc? You'll still want a wallet. What about the cost of implementing the system? What about visually impared and other disabled people who can't use the system?

You really haven't thought this through, have you?

_PD_ · 4 Sep 2007 at 00:10

unknowndomain said:
Use a pay phone and reverse it.

If I was living on my own, or out in another area, that wouldn't be much help unless I had memorised everyones' number.

Ringing the gf/parents when I'm the other side of the country would be rock all good!