Member News

The Payforit Management Group has been considering ways to improve the way that the Payforit Scheme is implemented and to find ways to help merchants and APIs grow their businesses through quicker and easier processes.

As part of this exercise a simplified trials process has been developed which speeds up the time from idea to inception but loses none of the protections required to ensure that customers have a safe and enjoyable journey.

This process has 3 priorities:

1)      Embed PhonepayPlus Code 12 and other relevant  principles

2)      Protect the consumer from harm

3)      Reduce the time taken to get a service to trial

 

The process itself relies on the submission of full documentation prior to an application.  The current process of discussing and then documenting will be replaced by a sequence which enables the Payforit Management Group to confirm quickly that the proposal is compliant with PhonepayPlus Code 12 and the Payforit terms as well as ensuring that the due diligence and risk control processes are robust.  This sequence involves submission and review of the trial mock-up, screen prints and the trial form.  Once these have been cleared the trial information will be published on the Payforit website.

The Payforit Management Group Secretariat will work with APIs to ensure that the documentation is complete and processed in a timely manner by the Payforit Management Group.  Early validation by the Secretariat will reduce the number of non-compliant proposals being submitted to the Payforit Management Group.

Many of the issues that cause harm to customers only become obvious during a trial and are evidenced by conversion rates and customer care reports.  As long as the preparation for the trial have been aligned to the relevant rules and controls laid out clearly as part of the process, the Payforit Management Group feels that the information can be gathered first before firm submissions are presented for sign off.

Currently the time taken from inception toimplementation for a new service can be far too long.  This drag has been instrumental in holding back the growth and development of the Payforit scheme and so by removing barriers to progress the Payforit Management Group is confident that speed can be introduced into the process without compromising either regulatory compliance or customer care.  There will be no watering down of the service trial conditions but the way they are addressed and implemented will be changed to reflect the need to move quickly to take advantage of commercial and technological developments.

The Payforit Management Group supports commercial growth in Charge to Mobile and as such has contributed resources to improve the infrastructure around bringing services to market.  By automating the sequence within strict guidelines and having an efficient processing service within the Secretariat support structure the Group is confident this will provide a significant improvement in the journey from mind to market.

Please contact secretariat@payforituk.co.uk for the trial process document.

 

txtNation has absorbed Manchester based mobile messaging company, PushMobileMarketing Ltd in a move that sees Paul Adams, PushMobileMarketing Managing Director appointed as Head of Messaging at txtNation.

This comes as part of the award-winning mobile billing and messaging provider’s push to scale up its mobile messaging division.

PushMobileMarketing provides both UK and Global SMS termination through stable and secure quality routing options, offering access to 800+ mobile operators around the world.

As txtNation’s newly appointed Head of Messaging, Paul brings a wealth of experience and a solid reputation to txtNation, allowing the business to offer increased service levels to its already blossoming client base. Previous to PushMobileMarketing, he has had roles across wholesale voice and telecoms.

Michael Whelan, CEO of txtNation commented “The demand for SMS messaging is rising. This combined with our platform, analytics and commercial improvements across our core messaging mix of SMS, HLR and USSD, it’s a very exciting time. We have absorbed PushMobileMarketing and have are delighted to bring Paul on-board, benefiting from his experience and vast industry knowledge.”

Paul Adams, txtNation’s new Head of Messaging commented “After speaking with Michael and spending time at txtNation’s head office, the vision that he and the rest of the business have for messaging made it an easy decision to join the team and help deliver results with the new dedicated bulk SMS division.”

In response to the growing use of mobile internet in Ireland, txtNation has launched its optimum mobile billing solution for the mobile web, ‘Single-Click’ payments. The new service enables customers to pay with one click, being charged to their phone bill or pre-paid credit.

With a population of over 4.5 million, Ireland currently has a smartphone penetration of 53%, compared to 39% in late 2012. On top of this, more than one in for people in Ireland has access to a tablet, driving commerce on devices.

Recent statistics also show that 82% of 18-24 year olds in Ireland own a smartphone, compared to 79% of 25-35 year olds and 29% of over 55s. 18-35 year olds are a key demographic for mobile payments, highlighting the opportunity for business growth through m-commerce.

txtNation enables mobile payments in Ireland in partnership with the mobile networks; Vodafone and O2, providing the interface as a gateway to the platform via mobile operator billing. Merchants are able to customise the payment window to suit the rest of their website.

This follows the launch of ‘Single-Click’ payments in Sweden and the UK and is part of the award-winning company’s push to provide optimum mobile billing solutions for the mobile web in a number of countries.

txtNation’s Irish ‘Single-Click’ mobile payment solution detects the user’s mobile number through MSISDN forwarding, then accessed on a mobile web connection. This then enables the customer to click one button to pay.

Michael Whelan, txtNation CEO said “We are delighted to be able to offer ‘Single-Click’ billing in Ireland. Mobile web optimised payment solutions are key to growth through mobile as they offer the best possible customer experience, greatly increasing conversion rates.”

AIME Member, Empello (www.empello.com) releases wide ranging survey of mobile value added services and demonstrates a high degree of adherence to industry codes of practice designed to protect mobile consumers.

Empello Ltd, was recruited by a large UK Mobile Network Operator, another AIME Member, to research thousands of services that are available to consumers of that mobile network and establish if the services fell into one of four categories of consumer protection. These same services are in the main, also available on all other UK mobile networks and therefore available to the full UK population. The services are run by parties connected to the mobile networks and use premium SMS to charge for their services or charge direct to the consumers mobile bill. These facilities fit under the  broad category name of “Charge to Mobile”. Services are wide ranging and available for consumers to purchase such as videos, phone personalisation, TV voting, competitions, chat and date facilities, games, apps and more. The beauty of Charge to Mobile is that the payment method is frictionless, needing only the mobile number and is available to anyone with a mobile account or prepaid balance. Because of the low friction, the Codes of Practice for the industry using the payment method are strict and prescriptive to ensure consumers are fully aware of the pricing and other relevant information of the service before making a decision to purchase.

Empello surveyed 2,500 mobile services and used a three point assessment system for the services;

94% of the services assessed, were either fully compliant with all the relevant Codes of Practice, had minor issues that could be corrected within 48 hours (such as a missing contact number) or had some observations that could help to improve the service. None of the 94% were designed to cause any consumer harm.

Of the remaining 6%, these services were categorised as potentially damaging to consumers and were immediately removed from UK Mobile Networks.

AIMEs Managing Director Rory Maguire stated: “Due to the wide range of potential services available to mobile consumers and their availability to all ages, Charge to Mobile services have to comply with very stringent Codes of Practice issued by Mobile Networks and the Regulator, PhonepayPlus. The Codes are far more robust than other forms of payments offered by online merchants and app stores. In the fast moving and fragmented world of the mobile internet, it is very easy for something minor to go wrong when promoting services and good monitoring practices deployed by mobile networks show that these minor issues can be spotted and resolved without fuss. Good monitoring also detects the small handful of services with serious issues and with the removal from the networks gives a clear commercial message that they will not be tolerated.

AIME members work tirelessly to adhere all relevant Codes of Practice. “

Empello News Bulletin can be accessed here

SLA Mobile has been named as one of Ireland’s ‘Best Managed’ companies in the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards Programme for the fourth year in a row. The company was recognised at a gala awards dinner in Dublin on 7 March 2014. An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, TD, congratulated the award winners in a keynote speech at the event.

The Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards Programme, in association with Barclays Bank Ireland, recognises indigenous Irish companies across the island of Ireland which are operating at the highest levels of business performance.   Companies that have been recognised as a Best Managed Company for four years running are awarded with a special gold standard accolade.

Commenting on the award, Nic Stirk, CEO, SLA Mobile said, “We are delighted to have achieved the gold standard award this year.  We have had four consecutive years of success at the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards and this is down to the fantastic team at SLA Mobile.  We strive to compete at a global level in the mobile communications industry and this award reinforces the great success we have experienced over the last few years.”

Former CEO of Enterprise Ireland, Frank Ryan, chaired the independent judging panel that took a holistic approach to measuring company performance, looking at strategy, capability, commitment, and management performance, in addition to financials.

Commenting, An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, TD, said, “It is great to see so many indigenous Irish companies achieving this best in class standard and a good sign we can achieve the aim of becoming the best small country in the world for business. Companies like the award-winners are the job creators who are crucial to our economic recovery. The Government wants to build on the 61,000 new jobs created last year and, through the Action Plan for Jobs, will continue a relentless focus on creating jobs in the domestic economy.”

Brendan Jennings, Managing Partner, Deloitte and judging panel member echoed the Taoiseach’s comments saying: “As the Irish economy continues to strengthen the outlook for the winning companies is extremely positive. They have all demonstrated an exceptional ability to innovate and grow and are now excellently positioned to benefit as the outlook for Ireland Inc continues to improve.”

The Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards Programme is open to companies from all 32 counties on the island of Ireland.

Andrew Hastings, CEO of Barclays Bank Ireland, added, “As a lead sponsor, we have witnessed first-hand how some of Ireland’s best managed companies are excelling. Having mentored and supported each of them throughout the process, we have been particularly impressed by their ability to adapt and display best practice management across a wide range of key business areas. It is clear that the companies recognised today have succeeded in applying this winning formula and I believe they are setting a great example for all businesses across Ireland.”

The Best Managed Companies Awards Programme was created to recognise the overall success of a company, including management strength, ability to innovate, strategic initiatives and financial performance – all the elements that contribute to a Best Managed company. The ’Best Managed’ designation is an important marketing tool for the winning companies – but, perhaps most importantly, the award provides a reason to celebrate the efforts of the entire company.