Comments on: Mobile Payments on Social Platforms: Q&A with Zong’s Hill Ferguson http://www.insidesocialgames.com/2009/02/09/mobile-payments-on-social-platforms-qa-with-zongs-hill-ferguson/ Tracking Innovation at the Convergence of Games and Social Platforms Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:17:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: This Week’s Headlines from Inside Social Games | Webtrendblog.com http://www.insidesocialgames.com/2009/02/09/mobile-payments-on-social-platforms-qa-with-zongs-hill-ferguson/comment-page-1/#comment-3452 This Week’s Headlines from Inside Social Games | Webtrendblog.com Mon, 16 Feb 2009 13:00:31 +0000 http://www.insidesocialgames.com/?p=2935#comment-3452 [...] Mobile Payments on Social Platforms: Q&A with Zong’s Hill Ferguson - Mobile payment services are exploding on Facebook and other social networks as an easy way for app users and game players to buy virtual currency. Read more in our interview with Hill Ferguson of Zong, one of the leading providers of mobile payment solutions to social app developers. [...] [...] Mobile Payments on Social Platforms: Q&A with Zong’s Hill Ferguson – Mobile payment services are exploding on Facebook and other social networks as an easy way for app users and game players to buy virtual currency. Read more in our interview with Hill Ferguson of Zong, one of the leading providers of mobile payment solutions to social app developers. [...]

]]> By: This Week’s Headlines from Inside Social Games http://www.insidesocialgames.com/2009/02/09/mobile-payments-on-social-platforms-qa-with-zongs-hill-ferguson/comment-page-1/#comment-3447 This Week’s Headlines from Inside Social Games Mon, 16 Feb 2009 09:14:19 +0000 http://www.insidesocialgames.com/?p=2935#comment-3447 [...] Mobile Payments on Social Platforms: Q&A with Zong’s Hill Ferguson - Mobile payment services are exploding on Facebook and other social networks as an easy way for app users and game players to buy virtual currency. Read more in our interview with Hill Ferguson of Zong, one of the leading providers of mobile payment solutions to social app developers. [...] [...] Mobile Payments on Social Platforms: Q&A with Zong’s Hill Ferguson – Mobile payment services are exploding on Facebook and other social networks as an easy way for app users and game players to buy virtual currency. Read more in our interview with Hill Ferguson of Zong, one of the leading providers of mobile payment solutions to social app developers. [...]

]]> By: Carmen Tan http://www.insidesocialgames.com/2009/02/09/mobile-payments-on-social-platforms-qa-with-zongs-hill-ferguson/comment-page-1/#comment-3358 Carmen Tan Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:36:47 +0000 http://www.insidesocialgames.com/?p=2935#comment-3358 This sounds great. Do you have plans to move into the online casino / poker space? If so, how will you address the age requirements (i.e., preventing underaged Users from making micro-transactions)? This sounds great. Do you have plans to move into the online casino / poker space? If so, how will you address the age requirements (i.e., preventing underaged Users from making micro-transactions)?

]]> By: Jack http://www.insidesocialgames.com/2009/02/09/mobile-payments-on-social-platforms-qa-with-zongs-hill-ferguson/comment-page-1/#comment-3326 Jack Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:09:13 +0000 http://www.insidesocialgames.com/?p=2935#comment-3326 I have been in the mobile space for more than 10 years, and high carrier fees are killing fast mobile payment adoption in the US. Zong is ISG's sponsor, as noted in the blog, but one thing it does not mention is that Zong is based on PSMS. The high carrier fee is because of its underlying mechanism, PSMS. Carrier fees for PSMS have been traditionally high - 40 to as high as 60%. There are other ways to do mobile payment, without using PSMS. One of them is "Direct Mobile Billing", which is used by mobile payment companies in Asia and that's why the fees are much lower. Direct Mobile Billing also tends to be much more reliable and transparent, so there is less chance of fraud and discrepancies, which contribute to lower fees. There are countless other providers in Europe as well as in Asia. Zong has been an active European company in the US, but there are others like Danal from Korea - who uses Direct Mobile Billing mechanism and commands more than 50% of market share - also preparing to launch in the US. It would be interesting to see who would win, but ultimately it will depend on merchant adoption since demands are there, but it doesn't matter much if merchants do not embrace and accept the payment service or company. I have been in the mobile space for more than 10 years, and high carrier fees are killing fast mobile

payment adoption in the US.

Zong is ISG’s sponsor, as noted in the blog, but one thing it does not mention is that Zong is based

on PSMS. The high carrier fee is because of its underlying mechanism, PSMS. Carrier fees for PSMS have

been traditionally high – 40 to as high as 60%.

There are other ways to do mobile payment, without using PSMS. One of them is “Direct Mobile Billing”,

which is used by mobile payment companies in Asia and that’s why the fees are much lower. Direct

Mobile Billing also tends to be much more reliable and transparent, so there is less chance of fraud

and discrepancies, which contribute to lower fees.

There are countless other providers in Europe as well as in Asia. Zong has been an active

European company in the US, but there are others like Danal from Korea – who uses Direct Mobile

Billing mechanism and commands more than 50% of market share – also preparing to launch in the US. It would be interesting to see who would win, but ultimately it will depend on merchant adoption since demands are there, but it doesn’t matter much if merchants do not embrace and accept the payment service or company.

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