When Apple Pay was introduced in the fall of 2014 with the release of the iPhone 6, the tech company hoped the service would revolutionize the way people shop. Six months after the product's launch, a few data points have emerged that explain how and why the app became a success.
According to Forbes magazine, Apple Pay showed huge gains in the mobile shopping sector of the retail industry. Websites that support online shopping normally create a space that lets users input a credit card or debit card number. Apple's payment app nixes that step and allows users to simply verify their sale through a thumbprint. Since more shoppers engage with product sales through mobile devices, this functionality may become more mainstream as time passes.
For instance, SeatGeek is a mobile app to find concert or sporting event tickets at arenas. The app's checkout screen increases a sales conversion rate by 30 percent on websites that accept SeatGeek. When you add Apple Pay to the mix, the conversion rate goes to 80 percent.
Funding site Indiegogo reports similar, meteoric results. Conversion rates go up 2.5 times with users that have Apple Pay options due to the app's ease of use. The reason is that more and more mobile shoppers have gotten used to paying for things through their phones.
A normal website requires someone to enter a 16-digit credit card number and other relevant information. If a shopper goes to 10 different websites on a mobile device, that person must input the card number 10 separate times. This process becomes laborious considering you have a small screen, and not a lot of space, to use your thumbs while inputting numbers from a virtual keypad. This keypad cannot take up the entire screen since you need to see the numbers as they go into the blank.
Apple Pay removes the need to type in your card on each website that accepts the service. Mobile shopping has increased with this service because it cuts down on the time spent at checkout. Although Apple wants you to take this technology to brick-and-mortar stores and forgo your wallet altogether, the convenience issue is not so prevalent at huge retailers such as Walmart, Target or Best Buy. It still just takes a few seconds to whip out a card from your wallet and swipe it in the machine because you don't have to type in any numbers. Since mobile shoppers increasingly use their phones to make purchases, websites, rather than physical retailers, should take notice of Apple's system to enhance customer experiences.
This small Apple Pay study only has two examples thus far, but the data points are compelling. Apps that make shopping quicker, easier and more convenient are the wave of the future. The major drawback of this app is that it's only available on Apple-based systems, limiting the pool of potential users.
Photo courtesy of Jason Howie at Flickr.com
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