back to article It's BANKS v TELCOs: Mobe payments systems go head-to-head

The GSMA's Mobile Connect mobile payments project is going head-to-head with the Payments council's rival Paym system after both systems launched this week. The mobile operator creates a token which is then shared with vendors to verify who you are. Customers do not necessarily have to tie their actual mobile phone to the …

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  1. SuperTim

    DPA

    So could I type in a mobile number and then magically be given a name associated with that number? I don't think I will register my number then thanks. Facebook do a similar thing which is well handy for stalkers.

  2. Frankee Llonnygog

    My money is already in my bank account and they pay me interest

    My bank is regulated and I have a pretty clear understanding of who is liable when things go wrong.

    The phone companies would like me to move money through them, so they can earn interest on it, and probably charge me a fee for the privilege. And when things go wrong they'll no doubt engage in a circle-jerk of blame with the banks leaving me without my money.

    Phone companies - here's a thought: invest in your networks and leave banking to the banks

    1. ARGO
      Unhappy

      Re: My money is already in my bank account and they pay me interest

      "And when things go wrong they'll no doubt engage in a circle-jerk of blame"

      Of course banks would never do that

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Banks v Telco's Head to Head

    I wonder where that leaves the Supermarkets?

  4. Caff

    Oberthur

    Oberthur actually do already work with a number of banks performing credit card processing

  5. tony2heads

    difficult choice

    Who do I least distrust?

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    SMS authentication at point of sale?

    "David Pollington .... envisages a model where the customer logs into a website and there is a button on the screen which sends a text message to a mobile phone number for verification, "

    Fab idea Dave. But you've obviously never had a mobile with O2, where text messages can take days to arrive, even when sent from and to O2 phones.

  7. Colin Millar
    Boffin

    Er - gaping hole?

    If this is to be used to confirm identity a unique identifier tied strongly to the individual might be useful.

    Mobe numbers fail on both of those criteria.

  8. frank ly

    So, on the balance of trust ....

    ,,,, do you entrust a mobile phone company with your money, or do you entrust a bank with your mobile phone number (which they'll probably pass on to their offshored reconciliation and telesales division)?

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Or could we just fucking have Google wallet working here already!!!

  10. Graham Cobb Silver badge

    Identity, not payments

    This article seems to confuse payments and identity. They can be related but they are very definitely not the same thing. My understanding about Mobile Connect is that it is purely about Identity: it is a way to use your mobile phone number as a "token" with a website or app -- just like you might use a Facebook login on a non-Facebook website. The website might be, for example, The Register comments section: El Reg really doesn't need to know who you really are, it just wants to know that when you log in again the next time you can access your previous comments. Your mobile phone number is fine for that.

    A mobile operator may choose to link the Mobile Connect identity to their M-Payments system, of course, but that would just be an example of an app (M-Payments) using the Mobile Connect identity (just like Amazon or Google or a bank can, if they want to).

    [Full disclosure: I have been involved in marketing Digital Identity for a company not mentioned in the article, but these comments are my own view]

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