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Jose_R.A.M
03-26-2006, 02:22 PM
Michael Oryl edit: of MobileBurn (http://www.mobileburn.com/) tests out SMS based Payment service

Yesterday PayPal did a soft launch of their new PayPal Mobile service. The new system allows a PayPal user with an activated mobile phone (http://www.mobileburn.com/review.jsp?Id=2215&source=HOME#) to send money to another mobile phone or email address. The system is SMS based; you send a payment by sending a text message (http://www.mobileburn.com/review.jsp?Id=2215&source=HOME#) to 729725 ("PAYPAL") and use commands to tell the system how much, and to whom you wish to send the money. Currently the system only works with mobile phones in the US, Canada, and the UK. PayPal plans to add more countries in the future.


In order to activate a phone on your existing PayPal account, first login normally to PayPal. Then click on the Profile tab and then on the Phone link under Account Information. You will then be prompted to choose a phone number and to select a PIN to be used during the activation process. PayPal will then call your phone and prompt you for that PIN using an automated voice system. The entire process takes only a couple of minutes.


I ran a test with Jon Gales of MobileTracker.net (http://www.mobileburn.com/g.jsp?d=http://www.mobiletracker.net/) where Jon sent me US$.75 using the system and I sent him US$1.06 in return (the $.31 difference being Jon's tip for a job well done). The text message I sent to 729759 was "send 1.06 to 12155551212" (not really Jon's number). PayPal's automated system then called me to ask for my PIN code so that the payment could be released. Jon received a text message at that point, as I received a similar text message when he sent the initial payment a few minutes earlier.....CONTINUE THE STORY HERE (http://www.mobileburn.com/review.jsp?Id=2215&source=HOME)


Sounds good! Better than the other option of paypal mobile (visiting the website via your wap=enabled phone) which can be mucho expensive if you aren't on some unlimited surfing plan of some sort.

I did think that it was about being able to fund PAYPAL acounts with our phone credit (Quite a lot has been accumulating on one of my sims) but this seems like a step in the right direction of mobile-payment that I was looking for a few months ago that replicated something I experienced in the Philippines called PASSALOAD - where credid is easily passed from one user to another via text, and apparently that can be used as phone credit or deposited onto a bank account.

I hope this will become available in the UK. Haha, O2 and their eBay on the move adverts would really welcome this.

carcomptoy
03-26-2006, 03:00 PM
It's good I guess for others, but for me I would rather deal with payments and such on a full-screen with forms and options all visible to me on the computer...

Jose_R.A.M
03-26-2006, 03:20 PM
Its still new, there will probably be improvements.

The great thing is its paypal on the move without having to go via wap. Browsing pages, logging on..etc etc. Its quick, just sending texts. Very simple but very good idea. Balance checks, payment sending, all via text.

I understand your point though. I too would prefer to view the forms.

carcomptoy
03-26-2006, 03:33 PM
Yeah and I guess for me browsing isn't a problem since I thankfully have unlimited GPRS, but yeah, I see your point about speed.

anjanesh
04-04-2006, 01:46 PM
This is interesting - I guess they are competing against Google's GBuy.

Jose_R.A.M
04-09-2006, 02:14 AM
From gizmodo


PayPal Mobile Launched

As we mentioned before, PayPal has created a mobile payment system allowing you to send and receive money via SMS.


The site is up now and you can activate your phone by clicking a button and entering your number. I’m trying to figure out some use cases, right now, and strangely enough I could see this as a boon for tourists: no cash, no hassle, just a quick SMS to a trusted U.S.-based source. But that’s just me. We’ll give it a go today and see what happens.

carcomptoy
04-09-2006, 06:03 PM
This is interesting - I guess they are competing against Google's GBuy.
I've never heard of that before...

anjanesh
04-09-2006, 10:57 PM
This has been talked abt for almost a yr now.
webpronews (http://www.webpronews.com/insiderreports/marketinginsider/wpn-50-20060206GoogleTestingPayPalKillerGBuy.html)
siliconbeat (http://www.siliconbeat.com/entries/2006/02/06/google_to_launch_online_payments_service_gbuy.html )

Jose_R.A.M
04-10-2006, 03:52 AM
Yeah, I heard of it briefly. I think brad or someone like that (knowlegable that is) mentioned it during a conversation about ebay/paypal/payment methods.