Survey Reveals US Attitudes Towards Mobile Payments

When it comes to getting bills, Americans tend to trust their credit card company more than their mobile network. This is one of many findings of a recent survey commissioned by Seattle-based Billing Revolution and conducted by research firm Harris Interactive. The survey was conducted online in the US among 2,029 adults aged 18 and over, of whom 1,883 owned mobile phones. It was intended to measure consumer mobile payments and purchasing preferences.
The survey found that:

  • 77% of US adults receive bills from mobile phone and credit card companies, and of these adults, the majority (57%) trust credit card companies more than mobile phone companies when it comes to accurately billing them for a payment
  • Older adults are significantly more likely than their younger counterparts to trust credit card companies more than mobile phone companies (65% of those aged 55+ compared to 52% of those aged 18-34)
  • 45% of US adults who own a mobile phone (93% of US adults do) think its at least somewhat safe to make a purchase through their phone, with 26% saying they think its fairly or very safe to do so
  • Assuming it was safe to make purchases through mobile phones, 46% of mobile phone owners said they would be willing to make purchases this way
  • Of those who would be willing to make purchases through their mobile phone, 58% said they would be willing to buy movie/event tickets, 41% music, 34% games, and 24% mobile video or TV content (24%)
  • 43% said they would be willing to buy hotel rooms, and 40% tickets for travel
  • On the food and drink front, 59% said they would use their mobile to buy pizza, 42% fast food (42%), and 25% coffee

Theres clearly a large US population of consumers open to the idea of making purchases via their cell phones, says Billing Revolution CEO, Andy Kleitsch. With consumers getting more comfortable navigating the web from mobile phones, mobile commerce is poised for explosive growth, and consumers are very much leading the charge in this direction.
Founded in 2008, Billing Revolution specialises in alternative payment methods and technologies and expects to process more than $100 million in mobile payment transactions during 2009. The companys technology currently works across all web-enabled handsets and carriers, and accepts payments in more than 150 currencies worldwide.