“Mobile payments” is about as unsexy as technology buzzwords get. We’re basically talking about phones and money. And it’s hard enough to get people excited about money in the first place—unless you’re receiving large sums of it, that is—let alone using a phone to make or spend it.
But it is exciting! Trust us. And there’s a reason why you’re going to be hearing a lot more about mobile commerce before this year is done.
The philosophy behind mobile payments is simple; it’s the idea that everyone should have the ability to buy anything, anywhere. And it sounds a lot better—not to mention sexier—when explained that way. Because, beyond all the oddly shaped geometrical dongles and near-field communication magic, that’s essentially what the likes of Square, PayPal, Google et al want to do.