# Digital Wallets: The New Way to Pay
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2021-12-28
Category: BUSINESS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/business
Meta Title: The Rise of Mobile Phone Payments in the Digital Age
Meta Description: Discover how mobile phone payments are reshaping the future of digital payments, from cash conversion to enhanced security features, making transactions
URL: https://financedigest.com/digital-wallets-the-new-way-to-payhtml

_By **Anil Malhotra,** Chief Marketing Officer at Bango._

Cash payments continue to be squeezed out in a new wave of digitisation, with the rise of mobile phone payments set to rival and then succeed credit cards as the central means of payment in the digital age.

We’ve been paying via mobile for some time, with the first transactions going back to 1997 when Coca-Cola introduced vending machines allowing customers to pay by text. Later in 2007 the branchless banking service M-Pesa was launched in Kenya, and then Google platformed [mobile payments by launching the first mass-market digital](https://www.financedigest.com/fraud-in-a-mobile-digital-world.html "FRAUD IN A MOBILE DIGITAL WORLD") wallet in 2011 – all leading to an era where the physical wallet is increasingly left behind.

From 2010-2020, cash payments declined by 54% in the UK, while [mobile payments](https://www.financedigest.com/what-is-the-optimum-mobile-payment-mix.html "What is the optimum mobile payment mix?") are predicted to become a preferred payment method, second only to debit cards, by 2022. Currently, mobile networks bill over a trillion [dollars to more than five billion users a year](https://www.financedigest.com/dollar-creeps-up-in-subdued-start-to-new-year.html "Dollar creeps up in subdued start to new year").

**What are the benefits of [digital wallets](https://www.financedigest.com/digital-wallets-bring-value-to-banks-and-retails.html "digital wallets")?**

While some services like Apple Pay and Samsung function as a vessel for existing [payment methods](https://www.financedigest.com/freelancer-payments-methods-what-you-should-know.html "Freelancer Payments Methods: What You Should Know") – like a physical wallet – there’s a growing collection of digital wallets that allow users to generate balance through “cash conversion”. Customers can go to shops, kiosks or ATMs to deposit cash that becomes usable electronic money in their wallets.

This ability to convert cash into electronic [money that’s spendable online](https://www.financedigest.com/best-ways-to-make-money-online.html "Best ways to make money online") or in-store helps to foster greater financial inclusion, meaning more people (many of whom may not have been eligible for a traditional bank account) can partake in digital payments. The uptake of this style of digital wallet is particularly noteworthy in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America where regional governments have [supported these services](https://www.financedigest.com/bny-mellon-strengthens-support-for-treasury-services-clients-in-germany-with-appointment-of-gungor-taner.html "BNY MELLON STRENGTHENS SUPPORT FOR TREASURY SERVICES CLIENTS IN GERMANY WITH APPOINTMENT OF GÜNGÖR TANER").

On a more practical level, all digital wallets –whether they have cash [conversion](https://www.financedigest.com/smishing-is-a-new-virus-plaguing-big-business-conversational-commerce-to-the-rescue.html "‘Smishing’ is a new ‘virus’ plaguing big business – Conversational Commerce to the rescue!") capabilities or not­– are easily accessible and convenient for consumers. They store multiple [payment methods in one digital](https://www.financedigest.com/italys-nexi-signs-digital-payments-deal-with-tims-olivetti.html "Italy’s Nexi signs digital payments deal with TIM’s Olivetti") solution and can be accessed via a range of devices including phones, but also smartwatches and tablets.

Forgetting your wallet is no longer an issue, [customers can just tap](https://www.financedigest.com/allianz-benelux-taps-into-modern-data-management-to-combat-fraud-and-foster-a-positive-customer-experience.html "Allianz Benelux Taps into Modern Data Management to Combat Fraud and Foster a Positive Customer Experience") and go, then their device will give an instant notification detailing the amount spent. You can even link loyalty schemes, so points and rewards are calculated automatically when checking out.

**Are** [digital wallets more secure?](https://www.financedigest.com/digital-experience-and-security-the-crucial-combination-for-banks.html "Digital experience and security – the crucial combination for banks")

As a newer payment method, digital wallets have been met with some skepticism along with [contactless payments](https://www.financedigest.com/the-future-of-contactless-payments.html "The future of contactless payments") regarding safety, but these concerns are largely unwarranted.

[Digital wallets cannot be accessed without a password and/or face](https://www.financedigest.com/3-top-digital-asset-threats-facing-your-brand-in-2017.html "3 top digital asset threats facing your brand in 2017") ID requirements of the smart device they live on, meaning users have control over how their payment information is stored. Tokenisation also means that personal identifiable information and [financial identities can be hidden](https://www.financedigest.com/the-hidden-financial-woes-of-international-students-heading-for-the-uk.html "The Hidden Financial Woes of International Students Heading for the UK").

In fact, The UK treasury reported there was no major increase in reported [fraud when the contactless payment](https://www.financedigest.com/how-can-you-reduce-the-risk-of-fraud-in-b2b-payments.html "How can you reduce the risk of fraud in B2B payments?") limit was raised from £30 to £45, leading to an increase in the contactless limit to £100.

In summary, [digital payments are as safe as any transaction](https://www.financedigest.com/igtb-launch-digital-transaction-banking-available-as-saas.html "iGTB launch Digital Transaction Banking available as SaaS"). As an electronic service, digital wallets feature multiple points of authentication through user and network verification methods, so some could even argue they are safer than [contactless enabled bank cards or cash](https://www.financedigest.com/cash-me-if-you-can-the-future-of-contactless-commerce.html "Cash me if you can: The future of contactless commerce"). Cash and cards by comparison are easily stolen and used with fewer points of identification and security.

So, it’s clear consumers and governments are readily adopting digital wallets, but what about merchants and the [financial sector](https://www.financedigest.com/how-can-the-financial-sector-safely-use-the-iot.html "How can the financial sector safely use the IoT?")?

**[Digitisation and the impact of financial](https://www.financedigest.com/make-way-for-the-rise-of-the-finance-super-apps-consolidation-of-financial-digitisation-tools-platforms.html "Make way for the rise of the Finance Super Apps – Consolidation of Financial Digitisation Tools & Platforms") services**

The growing interest in [digital wallets is proof that financial services](https://www.financedigest.com/matching-digital-adoption-with-cybersecurity-in-the-financial-services-industry.html "Matching digital adoption with cybersecurity in the financial services industry") are becoming increasingly digitised, with these services following on from the introduction of online and app banking.

Financial institutions are already beginning to embrace this change, with a range of [banks introducing virtual cards to business customers](https://www.financedigest.com/christmas-debt-hangovers-how-banks-can-help-customers.html "CHRISTMAS DEBT HANGOVERS: HOW BANKS CAN HELP CUSTOMERS"). These [virtual cards](https://www.financedigest.com/virtual-cards-in-the-travel-industry.html "Virtual cards in the travel industry") are stored in digital wallets, where details including the 16-digit card number, CVV code, and date of expiry are kept safe.

Tech giant Apple is even [launching its own digital](https://www.financedigest.com/seenthis-launches-creative-platform-to-boost-performance-and-reduce-co2-emissions-in-digital-advertising.html "SeenThis launches Creative Platform to boost performance and reduce CO2 emissions in digital advertising") credit card in collaboration with financial behemoth, Goldman Sachs.

**Can [merchants profit from the update in digital](https://www.financedigest.com/how-digital-commerce-merchants-can-weather-the-economic-storm.html "How Digital Commerce Merchants Can Weather the Economic Storm") wallets usage?**

Given the proliferation of digital wallets, merchants will be able to justify investment in technologies that will enable digital and mobile payments – and ultimately capture more customers and [save money](https://www.financedigest.com/6-easy-ways-to-save-money-with-printed-marketing-materials.html "6 easy ways to save money with printed marketing materials").

Wallets offer lower processing costs than other methods, such as carrier billed payments using airtime and even card processing. They also offer fewer limits on transaction values and frequency.

According to a survey conducted earlier this year, 37% of merchants currently support mobile payments at the point of sale, with payments [companies like Bango helping them offer](https://www.financedigest.com/spain-offers-to-pay-companies-testing-a-4-day-work-week.html "Spain offers to pay companies testing a 4-day work week") online mobile payments on a global scale.

While large merchants have operations in more than one country as standard, differing [financial processes](https://www.financedigest.com/companies-that-dont-upgrade-their-financial-processes-this-year-will-get-left-behind.html "Companies that don’t upgrade their financial processes this year will get left behind"), regulations, laws, and different digital wallets, all require merchants to work with companies that unify and centralise payments.

Using commerce platforms like Bango enables payment choices to be analysed, providing valuable insights into what [consumers are interested in buying](https://www.financedigest.com/from-burgers-to-bleach-stressed-consumers-buy-cheap.html "From burgers to bleach, stressed consumers buy cheap"). This information can be used to enable purchase behavior targeting, a market segmentation strategy allowing merchants to incentivise wallet payments by linking to special offers.

Digital wallets are set to become a global, standard payment method, with [spending estimated to exceed $10 trillion](https://www.financedigest.com/european-governments-spend-half-a-trillion-euros-on-energy-crisis-report-2.html "European governments spend half a trillion euros on energy crisis – report") by 2025. With [financial institutions](https://www.financedigest.com/a-cloud-migration-guide-for-financial-institutions.html "A Cloud Migration Guide for Financial Institutions") already embracing this change, merchants who aren’t offering mobile payments will need to catch up or risk loss of business by not offering customers the payment experience they expect.


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