Much has been made about the idea that consumers everywhere will one do soon be able to pay for everything with their phones. Yet little discussion has been had surrounding the most critical piece: How the store accept the payment.
The buzzword
With shifting technologies and the entrance of firms like Google (GOOG -1.96%) (GOOGL -1.97%), mobile payments have piqued the interest of consumers and investors across the globe.
And while the changes in the corresponding adoption of that technology by consumers is key to follow, it is vital to remember the importance of merchants. These are the ones who actually take the payments and absorb the cost of having to buy new technology that accepts those payments.
Brian Mooney, CEO of Bank of America Merchant Services -- a joint venture between Bank of America (BAC -1.07%) and First Data -- said at the recent payments industry TRANSACT14 conference, "I am optimistic about mobile payments," but it would only be fully recognized when the merchants feel like they're going to get value from mobile payments.
The same opinion was true of the head of Google payments, Ariel Bardin, who suggested the ability for Google to partner and collaborate with merchants will be critical to the success of Google Wallet.
In the video below, Motley Fool contributor Patrick Morris chats with Loop co-founder and CEO, Will Graylin at the TRANSACT14 conference about his start-up's technology, and how it's doing something Google isn't.
