TV shopping retailer Thane Direct is testing a mobile payments system from MPP Global Solutions that enables viewers in the UK to purchase products using their mobile phones.
Thane Direct, which claims to be the first ever shopping channel to offer WAP purchasing, is using MPP's iShop Mobile product to enable viewers to buy products using SMS text messages.
The viewer texts the keyword 'shop' to the mobile shortcode 82540 to initiate the transaction process. Payment is made by credit and debit cards, which are stored using MPP's e-wallet technology.
The e-wallet is activated when viewers enter payment data directly into a Wap page on their mobile phone and carry out a transaction. Subsequent purchases are made using an e-wallet PIN.
Richard Whinfrey MD, Thane Direct, says: "Once MPP had demonstrated how easy and secure it was to make transactions we were extremely keen to adopt the technology as we see mobile commerce as having a huge part to play in our future sales projections."
Paul Johnson, MD, MPP, adds: "The idea of using the mobile phone to make secure purchases over WAP is a logical progression for mobile commerce and represents just part of the massive growth that we are seeing in this marketplace."