Vodafone Lets British Cab Customers Pay for Their Ride via Text Message
Michael Hines — May 5, 2011 — Tech
British cellphone company Vodafone is rolling out a new service which lets cab passengers pay for their taxi fare via text message. The service is simple: passengers simply text their cab's license number to a specific phone number and the fare is charged to their phone bill.
But what if you have no money and your phone is about to die? British cabs have you covered once again -- 500 of London's cabs are set to have chargers available for today's top smartphones such as the iPhone, Blackberry and Android. With the increasing sophistication of smartphones, it wouldn't be surprising if we were soon able to pay for any and everything using our cellphones. Credit and debit card machines, your days are numbered.
But what if you have no money and your phone is about to die? British cabs have you covered once again -- 500 of London's cabs are set to have chargers available for today's top smartphones such as the iPhone, Blackberry and Android. With the increasing sophistication of smartphones, it wouldn't be surprising if we were soon able to pay for any and everything using our cellphones. Credit and debit card machines, your days are numbered.
Trend Themes
1. Mobile Payment Solutions - Vodafone's new pay-by-text service for taxi rides is a sign of the rising trend of mobile payment solutions across industries as people seek for more cashless and convenient transactions.
2. Vehicles as Payment Channels - London cabs offering phone chargers open doors to innovative ideas that explore cars and other means of transport as payment channels for services beyond rides, such as deliveries or pop-up stores.
3. Smartphone-enabled Services - The provision of chargers for top smartphone models in London cabs is a manifestation of the trend towards a wide array of services becoming increasingly reliant on smartphone technology, fueled by the growing ubiquity of smartphones.
Industry Implications
1. Transportation - Companies in the transportation industry would benefit from adopting mobile payment systems that offer a new level of convenience and security to customers through their smartphones.
2. Retail - The trend toward vehicles as payment channels for services indicates new opportunities for retailers to innovate by building pop-ups on wheels (or drones) that accept payments from smartphone-enabled shoppers.
3. Technology - The increasing dependence on smartphones and related technologies highlights the need for the tech industry to develop new payment platforms and smartphone-enabled services that cater to customers' preferences for cashless transactions and seamless user experiences.
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