The mobile commerce ecosystem is confusing because so many of the participants occupy uncertain roles. Google, PayPal, Isis and Visa or MasterCard might be seen as partners and suppliers or, in some instances, as competitors. In a growing number of cases, major contestants are both partners and competitors. Nor are the roles likely to remain as they appear today.
Today, Visa is a transaction network, but going forward the company will provide real-time offers, alerts and other tools to consumers. http://www.myvisaoffers.com/ And though Visa works with Google, PayPal and Isis, for example, that doesn't mean Visa might not emerge as a mobile wallet provider in its own right. Indeed, it appears that is precisely what Visa has in mind.
Visa earlier in 2011 announced a digital wallet solution which is designed to provide "a secure cross-channel digital wallet and a range of customized mobile payments services that address the specific requirements of geographic markets around the world."
In early December 2011, Visa announced it had secured the www.v.me universal resource locator for "V.me by Visa," Visa's digital wallet and global acceptance mark. V.me by Visa will be a simple and secure way to pay online as well as in person, with PC, tablet, and mobile devices using Visa and non-Visa accounts, Visa says.
The digital wallet will store Visa and non-Visa payments accounts, support NFC payments and deliver a wide range of transaction services including e-commerce, mobile commerce, micropayments, social networks and person-to-person payments. Visa wallet
The service is built on the VisaNet processing network, existing credit, debit, prepaid and commercial product platforms as well as new capabilities Visa has acquired through its CyberSource, Authorize.net and PlaySpan subsidiaries.
The digital wallet initially was scheduled to go live in the United States and Canada late in 2011, though it appears the launch now will occur in 2012. V.me launch in 2012
and Visa has already signed up fourteen financial services players for the launch, including:
and Visa has already signed up fourteen financial services players for the launch, including:
- Barclaycard US
- BB&T Corporation
- Card Services for Credit Unions (CSCU)
- ICBA Bancard
- First Financial Bank of Ohio
- Nordstrom fsb
- Pentagon Federal Credit Union
- PNC Bank
- PSCU Financial Services
- Regions Bank
- Royal Bank of Canada
- Scotiabank
- TD Bank Group (US and Canada)
- US Bank
Separately, Visa and Gap have teamed up for real-time coupons under a program dubbed "Gap Mobile For You." With its network, Visa can see relevance—it knows where you are and what you bought—as well as fulfillment of an offer. Mobile wallet wars
