Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

More than 25 percent of U.S. smartphone owners use payment apps at least once a month, according to recent data compiled by Dallas-based research and consulting firm Parks Associates.

The firm said more than three million retailers now accept popular payment services like Apple Pay and Android Pay, but its data indicates consumers currently prefer retailer-specific applications.

"To be frank, I think this has a lot to do with consumers' loyalty to certain brands," said Harry Wang, director of mobile and health research with Parks Associates. "If you have a strong loyalty to the brands, you're more likely to shop at the place and you want to experience the brand in every angle possible, and the payment is part of the experience. Especially if a retailer includes loyalty cards and discounts to consumers that provide more incentive to use those applications."

From the article "Experts: Wal-Mart Pay Needs Perks" by Robbie Neiswanger.

Previously In The News

TV's next big experiment: 'choose your own adventure'

Viewers vote on the actions of the protagonist -- leading to one of seven endings -- using a smartphone app while the movie keeps rolling seamlessly for between 70 and 90 minutes. "This type of con...

OTT Churn Edges Up In US

About 20% of US broadband homes had cancelled at least one OTT service in the last 12 months at the end of 2015, according to data from Parks Associates. Netflix has the lowest churn among US OTT s...

Wearables trends reflect growing use of analytics, customized value proposition

Data and user privacy remain top reasons consumers are wary of wearable devices. For instance, a recent Parks Associates report notes that about 35 percent of consumers who responded to a survey say t...

mHealth Looks to Solve the Diabetes Care Management Conundrum

Earlier this year, a report from digital health analyst Parks Associates found that 27 percent of people with a chronic condition want a mobile health device that tracks their health, but a significan...