Mobile Wallets in America

Also from MobileCrunch, more talk about using mobile phones as payment systems.

From the post:

"In-Stat predicts that as many as 25 million Americans will be carrying Mobile Wallets - that is mobile phones that have payment functionality to supplant a conventional wallet - by 2011.

My prediction is that this report under-shoots the mark substantially and that some move by a third party, be it a Yahoo or Google or an MVNO out to distinguish themselves will come up with a very solid program and get a large group - MySpace Users Anyone? - forgive the pun “excited” about having a mobile wallet in their pockets."

From In-Stat:

"Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

• According to an In-Stat consumer survey, attitudes of US users towards mobile wallets are at best, lukewarm, with roughly one-third of respondents interested, one-third indifferent, and one-third uninterested.
• The most frequently mentioned barrier to the mobile wallet is added fees for its use (72% of respondents), followed by security concerns about loss of the phone and privacy.
  
• Survey data found that mobile wallet was most appealing to technology innovators and early adopters as well as subscribers who already rely heavily on their wireless phones."

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