Hasta La Gadget!

Many of us who live in North America and Europe consider Amazon synonymous with online retail — yet we forget that the company barely even registers in some parts of the world. That misconception is about to be cleared up now that one of China’s largest online retailers, 360buy, is going global. A just-launched English version of the store is initially shipping China-made goods for free to 36 countries that include obvious candidates like Australia, Canada, the UK and the US as well as France, Germany and southeast Asia. You’re unlikely to find a Kindle Fire HD equivalent in the selection, but the mix could still make Amazon nervous when the brand-agnostic can already find real bargains. Combined with long-term plans to set up local distribution points, 360buy’s international expansion could get more of us comfortable with buying from China and heat up a retail race that some thought had already been won.

Filed under: Internet, Amazon

Chinese online retail giant 360buy spreads worldwide, may keep Amazon on its toes originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unless you happen to be using the right phone on the right carrier, you might not know that Google Wallet is even a reality: the close association with NFC-based mobile payments on one network has largely kept it out of the public eye. Many more are about to see Wallet in action now that Google has quietly introduced it to the web. No, you won’t tap your phone against your computer screen; the web version is mostly targeted at microtransactions and gives readers more than a few ways to buy without getting burned, such as long and blurred-out previews, a narrow price range between 25 to 99 cents and an Instant Refund option that gives no-questions-asked credit within half an hour. Only Oxford University Press as well as Pearson’s DK and Peachpit publishing wings are known to be testing Wallet at this stage, but Google is already soliciting new partners for the e-commerce service before the customary blog post is active — a sign that Mountain View is eager to get Wallet on the web rolling a little faster than its slow-moving mobile counterpart.

Filed under: Internet, Google

Google Wallet reaches the web, reminds most of us that it exists originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 07:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Isis must have spoken too soon. Just days after the alliance committed to launching its mobile payment system in September, its marketing lead Jaymee Johnson has warned FierceMobileContent that the rollout won’t make the promised summer target. The delay is portrayed as a collection of minor hiccups, although we’re not bracing ourselves for a short wait: Isis plans to update us on the situation in October, and that suggests we won’t be making NFC-based purchases on Isis any sooner. It’s another disappointment for the future-is-now crowd hoping to leave cash behind — not that Apple and Google will object to a rival’s misstep.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Isis’ NFC mobile payments delayed past September target originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 17:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Most stores accepting mobile payments usually have to take just one format, whether it’s Google Wallet, Square or another flavor that you probably can’t use. LevelUp is convinced you shouldn’t have to choose platforms: it just revealed a new payment dock that will recognize both the company’s existing QR code system as well as NFC. It’s much easier sight on the eyes than typical NFC terminals, to boot. Just don’t expect a one-for-one recreation of systems like Google Wallet or Isis. Rather than expose your banking details by holding them in a chip, LevelUp’s NFC is just used to move the transaction along — if it’s used to get things started, shoppers can either switch to a QR code or complete the transaction with a second tap. The company is mostly planning to replace its existing payment points across the US with the NFC-aware models. Bluetooth 4.0 is an option for the future, however, which could make LevelUp even more of a Swiss Army Knife for the world of mobile commerce.

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals

LevelUp unveils payment docks that take both NFC and QR codes, leave out the guesswork originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 03:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square is most often pitched as heaven for small businesses, but that 2.75 percent cut per transaction is sometimes a problem for stores that are too successful. Enter a new flat rate option. Shops that don’t take more than $250,000 a year in Square payments, or charge more than $400 in a given sale, can instead pay a flat $275 per month regardless of how many swipes they take. The deal makes the most sense for businesses handling more than $120,000 a year through the reader, establishing a definite limit to its usefulness; this isn’t exactly for a budding jeweler (or Starbucks). Even so, the simplicity of the rate might be very alluring for companies that aren’t keen on surprise costs or working out the math, and it’s a contrast to the half-steps towards flat rates taken by VeriFone and other, more traditional outlets going mobile.

Continue reading Square intros flat-rate payment option at $275 per month, hits small business sweet spot

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Tablet PCs, Internet

Square intros flat-rate payment option at $275 per month, hits small business sweet spot originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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