Technology is advancing by leaps and bounds. If someone had told us, 20 years ago, that we would use our cell phones for anything but to talk, no one would have believed it. And yet it is now used to navigate, to send messages and even to pay with your mobile.
However, the latter is still unknown to many. And the new terminals are capable of speeding up our purchases. How? Enabling the function of your phone becomes your own credit card. If you want to know all the details, do not hesitate to continue reading this article that we have prepared.
How mobile payment works
Virtually everyone carries a mobile phone. This not only serves to call, but is also capable of being used for something as everyday as paying. And it is very simple, instead of using a credit card, what you do is bring the mobile closer to that dataphone and that these are recognized to make the payment, either through your bank's application, through a more general application, or even among friends.
Payment with the mobile is something very simple to do when it is enabled for it. Since all you need is to unlock your mobile, bring it to the POS so that it reads the NFC chip, and enter the PIN of the card with which you pay with your smartphone on the POS keyboard (if the purchase reaches an amount greater than 20 euros).
In fact this brings with it multiple advantages as they are:
- Greater speed, agility and comfort. No more searching for the card. If you always have your mobile at hand, everything will be faster.
- It is a secure payment, because on the mobile your card will be encrypted, and it is difficult for them to use it. Goodbye to cloning the card or having it stolen, because you won't even have to show it.
- It is a very easy to learn and use payment method.
What is needed to pay with your mobile
When making a payment with your mobile, also suitable for a tablet or even a computer, it is necessary that your terminal has two basic ones:
- On the one hand, the NFC technology, that is to say, Near Field Communication, or near field communication. It is a chip that causes your terminal to generate a small electromagnetic field capable of interacting with a dataphone or similar. And it is what is necessary to be able to make a payment with your mobile.
- On the other hand, you need a Payment system compatible with Contactless technology. This is no longer such a problem because the banks themselves are facilitating that possibility.
Of course, you will also need an application where the bank details (or your card) are collected in order to be able to make the payment.
Ways to pay with your mobile
Really, knowing how to pay with your mobile means knowing how you want to pay. And, right now, there are different options to do it, some better than others. For example:
If you want to pay between individuals
Imagine that you are meeting a friend, or an acquaintance, and you have to pay him. But you don't carry a card or cash. If you both have the opportunity to pay (and receive money) with your mobile, why not use it? You can settle accounts with your friends or family with your mobile, all you need is to have the appropriate applications, such as:
Bizum
It is the most used and popular for mobile payments between individuals. And also you do not have to download anything, because many of the banking applications already have it integrated so you just have to activate that function and make the payment (or receive it in case they owe you money).
For now, this is only possible between individuals, but soon it could also be enabled for other businesses.
Twyp
Another one known to many and related to the ING bank, so it is already warning us of the security it has. And it is that it allows you to make payments from your mobile and between individuals.
Now, there is a problem and it is that, if you are over 18 years old, you must have a bank account to be able to use the application. If you have less (from 14 to 17, you do not need a bank account, since it acts as a prepaid card).
PayPal
This payment method is better known for being one with which you buy online, but since you can carry the application on your mobile it also becomes a form of payment with your mobile that you can use. The only problem is that both people must have a PayPal account, otherwise it is impossible for you to receive the money (or send it to that person).
If you want to pay through your bank
If you do not trust to pay without an "official" application or that gives you security, then you can opt for the banks' apps. The bank branches themselves have seen the importance of their applications having this type of payments enabled, and that is why it is becoming easier and easier to do so.
For example, banks like Santander, La Caixa ... through their app allow payment with your mobile.
Santander Wallet
You need to have the Santander Walllet application since it is the one that enables mobile payment through the cards of that entity. To do this, you just have to enable the card you want and pay.
BBVA
This bank also has this option, and even easier than with Santander since you do not have to download another application other than the entity's own (that is, BBVA's). Once you activate the payment from your mobile, you will not have to do anything else.
CaixaBank
If you have a CaixaBank account, then you will need the CaixaBank Pay application. But this has a problem, and that is that you can only use it on your mobile if you have an NFC account. Otherwise, the only thing they have enabled is to carry a label on the mobile that is recognized when it approaches a Contactless terminal.
If you want to pay with your mobile
If you don't want to use more applications than those that your own mobile carries, why not opt for those of the manufacturers themselves? That is, Samsung, Apple ...
It must be said that not everyone has these applications enabled for mobile payment, but you also have the option of using Google Pay in those cases (and it is an app that is automatically installed on your smartphone).
Google Pay
Formerly it was known as Android Pay, but it has recently changed its name. It is enabled for any Android smartphone, but it can also be used by Apple.
Its system allows you to operate with a wide variety of banks and credit, prepaid, debit cards… so you always have an option to use.
Apple Pay
The exclusive mobile payment system for Apple mobiles, as long as have an iPhone 6 or higher. The good thing is that you can also pay with this application on Mac, iPad or Apple Watch.
Samsung Pay
Another brand that has launched its own mobile payment system is Samsung. But to do so, it requires that download a paid app. The good thing is that with it you can pay in places like Carrefour or El Corte Inglés.