May 10, 2015 • Sig Ueland With mobile now driving the majority of both Google searches and Facebook monthly active users, 2015 may finally be the long-heralded “year of mobile.” Innovations in mobile payment options may finally give consumers and businesses the incentives they need to commit to a mobile commerce world.Here is a list of innovative mobile payment apps, leading the change in mobile commerce.There are innovative mobile payment platforms, social peer-to-peer payment apps, digital wallets, payment apps for wearable devices, and alternative payment systems for mobile customers.Apple Pay is Apple’s mobile payment system.It uses near field communication (NFC) technology.Apple Pay allows in-store customers to pay by holding an iPhone or Apple Watch (and tapping the side-button) to a contactless reader.Apple Pay can be secured using the Touch ID fingerprint sensors in iOS devices to approve transactions.Apple Pay’s biggest impact so far has been its widespread adoption, leveraging the popularity of the iPhone.

Apple Pay launched mobile payments in the U.S.last October, with six major card-issuing banks, American Express, MasterCard, Visa, and 220,000 locations.At its Spring Forward event, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that 2,500 banks now support Apple Pay, as well as 700,000 merchant locations.If the Apple Watch finds similar traction, mobile payments from wearable devices may become commonplace.Google Wallet is Google’s mobile payment system for in-store and online payments.The NFC system allows users to store credit and debit cards, as well as loyalty and gift cards.It allows merchants to run loyalty programs and distribute offers.Google Wallet’s Gmail integration even allows users to send money through Gmail attachments.Recently, Google announced that funds in Google Wallet will be FDIC-insured, securing its system with the same federal protection held by banking institutions.As non-banking entities, mobile payment apps are not required to be federally insured.As a result, consumers are essentially providing unsecured loans to companies that may not be financially secure.

Google’s action could be an essential step for a reliable mobile marketplace.litecoin amd cpuVenmo is a mobile peer-to-peer payment system now owned by Braintree, a PayPal unit.bitcoin php gatewayPopular with millennials, Venmo says it is the app that has made payments social.bitcoin is a bubble songPay anyone with a phone number or email, whether or not he has Venmo.bitcoin exchange ghanaPay instantly using money you have in Venmo, or link a bank account or debit card in seconds.nmc to bitcoinThere is a 3 percent fee per payment for credit cards and non-major debit cards.ethereum coin classic

Receiving money on Venmo is always free.In March, Facebook Messenger announced a new feature for peer-to-peer payments.To send money, users simply tap the $ icon and enter the amount to send.Add a debit card to send or receive money.The money you send is transferred right away.The feature is another example of the increasingly social side of mobile payments.LoopPay is a mobile wallet case and app that works with credit and debit cards, as well as gift and loyalty cards.Users purchase a LoopPay smartphone case, download the app and add cards to a phone.LoopPay’s Magnetic Secure Transmission technology allows users to pay at in-store payment terminals where normally a card is swiped.No special equipment is need for merchants to accept payments.LoopPay works with both iPhones and Android phones.Loop has been acquired by Samsung.Square Cash is Square’s peer-to-peer solution to exchange money electronically.It’s a convenient way for groups to divvy bills, and send and receive payments.

For businesses, it’s a lightweight solution to accept debit card payments and an alternative to the full Square Register.With Square Cash for personal use, there’s no fee to send, request, or receive money.Payments are deposited directly to your debit card.The Cash Pro account allows businesses to accept payments through the mobile app, online or via email.Another payment app popular with millennials, Tilt combines peer-to-peer payments with crowdfunding.Users create a project and set the amount needed.Contributors pay the organizer, and the organizer tracks who has and hasn’t paid.Collect from a group for free, or sell items for a 2.5 percent fee.Companies can also use Tilt Open for open-source crowdfunding pages and the Tilt API to add crowdfunding or group payments to an application.Dwolla is an alternative payment platform that allows individuals or businesses to send, request, and accept money — without relying on credit or debit cards.Pay or request payments via email, phone number, or Dwolla ID.

Dwolla offers mobile apps for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone.Dwolla connects to a bank account and allows people to move money at a very low rate — just $0.25 per transaction or free for transactions $10 or less.Tab is a mobile payments app for dining, to bypass waiting for the check.Choose your restaurant, and open a new tab.Once you’ve checked into a restaurant, there’s no need to use the app.When you’re done eating, simply leave.The receipt is emailed to you.Friends can join your tab for instant bill splitting.Currently, Tab is only available in Toronto and Montreal.Although Tab is a niche app for dining, it’s also a good example of mobile commerce’s eventual challenge to traditional point-of-sale systems.LevelUp is a mobile payments and loyalty system focused on innovating the restaurant industry.Use a LevelUp scanner to scan the customers’ QR codes on smartphones or smart watches to process transactions.LevelUp supports mobile payments for iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone with QR Code, NFC, iBeacon, Apple Passbook, and Google Wallet.