More than half of consumers who use smartphones to make payments said they would increase their use of the service if there were more financial incentives and mobile-based financial-management tools available, according to a survey of 4,000 smartphone users in the United States and Canada by Accenture.
Of those currently using smartphones to make payments, 60 percent said they would increase their usage if they could track receipts, manage personal finances (56 percent), or show proof of insurance (56 percent) or a valid driver’s license (54 percent).
“Our survey reveals that current users and non-users alike can be incentivized to use their smartphones to make mobile payments through rewards for usage or other value-added tools such as receipt tracking,” said Jim Bailey, managing director and head of Accenture Payment Services in North America. “As consumers expect their smartphones to improve and simplify their lives, financial institutions, merchants, mobile network operators and technology providers should consider incorporating new mobile payment applications to encourage broad adoption as quickly as possible.”
More than half of those currently making mobile payments said they could be motivated to pay by phone more often. Preferred incentives include:
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Among nonusers, one-in-three said they would be more likely to use mobile payments. Preferred incentives include:
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Security concerns, selected by 60 percent of nonusers, are the greatest barrier to consumer adoption of mobile payments, the survey found; followed by privacy issues (37 percent); and the convenience of cash, checks or credit cards (37 percent).
“While the industry is preoccupied with the technology roll-out for mobile payments, we found that consumers are still very concerned about security and privacy issues,” said Matthew Friend, managing director, Accenture payment services, North America. “In addition, a significant number still don’t see the convenience and value of using their phones to make payments. For mobile payments to achieve widespread adoption, consumers must be educated about the fact that mobile payments are secure and more convenient than other payment options. While persuading current users to become more regular users is clearly important, getting people to use this technology in the first place is the biggest challenge the industry faces.”
