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

Action Cams Are For Birthday Parties Not Bungee Jumping

Wearable cameras such as the GoPro may be advertised as the must-have audio-visual accessory for extreme sport thrill-seekers, but according to new research, their most common uses are much more munda...

Amazon's New Netflix Competitor Is A Bad Deal For Most People

This move brings Amazon's video service into more direct competitor with services like Netflix and Hulu. But a little simple math shows that it actually isn't a great deal unless you plan on cancel...

Netflix Need Not Fear New Amazon Prime Spinoff Service

For those who think Amazon has the clout to steal away Netflix subscribers, the logic there isn’t too easy to follow: the $9 price point for the new service simply isn’t compelling enough to siphon aw...

WWE Ramps Up China Expansion With New Executive

So far, WWE has launched the 24-hour video service in 180 countries in Asia, Europe and other regions. WWE Network had 277,000 paid international subscribers by the end of 2015, or 23% of its world...