Comments on: Big Four U.S. Carriers Along With Google and Isis Form Mobile Payments Committee

By: A Griffith

A Griffith — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 16:38:00 +0000

I have a unique background regarding the implementation of ISIS. I’m with a medium sized business with just over 50 units. I was approached by ISIS to be a launch partner. The initial hook was attractive, we’d have all the reader hardware paid for by ISIS for our stores along with getting our brand featured in promo material published by ISIS. Sounded great… when I took the meeting I quickly found the reason they were so willing to offer all of this up was they expected us to switch merchant processors to Heartland. So in reality, Heartland was underwriting the hardware costs of the readers. We had zero interest as an organization to swap processors. With that comment, the offerings by ISIS for hardware and launch partner status disappeared.

I’m a big proponent of the technology, I use it as much as possible on my own personal Galaxy Nexus. I won’t be popular with this opinion, but the best thing that can happen for NFC is the release of it working 100% on an iPhone 5. IF this happens, you’ll see retailers jump on board faster. Right now the network of readers are really just legacy hardware from the semi failure of Mastercard’s Paypass. And many retailers were burned by that implementation, so we’re incredibly weary of the investment of new hardware for vapor products like ISIS or niche products like Google Wallet.

I won’t even get into the tender support from POS providers. Google Wallet burned a lot of bridges for companies like ISIS because they drove a date without consulting POS providers if the code could be written. Lets just say that most POS systems do not support ISIS as a tender type today. The companies that write the POS software aren’t rushing to update the code because they didn’t see much return on jamming the Google Wallet code in.

So long story short, complaining about your X phone from X company not having Google Wallet working even though there’s NFC is the least of the issues. Someone needs to produce a clear ROI for retailers to implement the technology and right now Google Wallet doesn’t have one.

By: PokerFaceMoose

PokerFaceMoose — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 13:13:00 +0000

Sounds more like a Cabal than a committee.

By: TheWenger

TheWenger — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 12:08:00 +0000

Agreed. I guess the only reason they’re involved is because they’re developing ISIS.

By: wickets

wickets — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 10:34:00 +0000

Thanks for posting this. The goog wallet mania is somewhat surprising given that hardly any retailers etc actually have the equipment installed to process a payment

By: noyfb

noyfb — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 08:03:00 +0000

Verizon just wants a way to charge you for making payments and buyimg stuff over their network.

By: jeesung

jeesung — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 03:48:00 +0000

they want a cut of the fees for “hosting” the chips for their customer base

By: Timoh

Timoh — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:47:00 +0000

Why are carriers involved in this at all. They have no business being a part of any mobile payment system that’s based around nfc. The nfc chip is on a device that just happens to also run on their mobile network. The carriers didn’t develop nfc payments, if anything they’ve held it back. What authority do the carriers think they have here? It makes no sense to me.

By the same logic they should be working directly with any of the mobile credit card readers.

By: Eric Chee

Eric Chee — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 22:53:00 +0000

Lol the Android Update Alliance. I almost forgot about that. What a joke that turned out to be.

By: Adam Siekmann

Adam Siekmann — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 22:40:00 +0000

I am sure this will end up working out in the end to at least set up a standard for hardware at the retailer, then each will probably have their own software/method of using said hardware..it can’t make it much worse than it already is.

By: JFB

JFB — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 22:07:00 +0000

This should be up higher. There are no incentives for business owner to buy these things.

By: SeanBello

SeanBello — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 22:06:00 +0000

if you can’t beat ‘em…

By: Chris Robson

Chris Robson — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 21:55:00 +0000

Well of course I’m already rooted I just don’t really want to do it this way it doesn’t look any more difficult than removing the wifi notification. Just don’t feel like I should have to do it this way!

By: A Griffith

A Griffith — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 21:53:00 +0000

Retailers are sitting on their hands on this because of the potential of having to buy chip and pin hardware in just a few years. Its a huge investment to buy one then replace the hardware 24 to 36 months later with EMV chip and pin readers. You can blame this on Visa/MC hanging the EMV carrot out there but not providing clarity on time frame.

That is the real hold back for retailers in the US regarding NFC. Imagine buying 300 to 500 dollar readers for each register at every store and then they’re obsolete in less than 5 years. Huge investment with an ROI of zero.

By: Jason

Jason — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 21:48:00 +0000

I can’t use wallet anymore, I got the security error =(

By: nightscout13

nightscout13 — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 21:46:00 +0000

I Just want Mobile payments on non-rooted GS3 Verizon. I don’t care who makes it happen first, just do it already……