Mobile payments company Boku has announced a new venture that will let users pay for items in-store with their mobile phone and earn some discounts along the way. Called Boku Accounts, the service comes in the form of a prepaid account and mobile app issued through your carrier — unlike Google Wallet, which gives you mobile access to existing credit, debit, loyalty, and gift cards. The service also tracks your purchases for budgeting purposes and any retailers who are on board can offer discounts and loyalty programs to Boku users.
Boku unveils mobile payment service issued through carriers
Boku has announced a new mobile payment service that lets you pay for things in-store using a mobile phone and a carrier-provided prepaid account.
Boku has announced a new mobile payment service that lets you pay for things in-store using a mobile phone and a carrier-provided prepaid account.
is an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.
The service supports NFC for payments, but for the many of us who don’t have NFC-equipped devices Boku has two options: a sticker embedded with an NFC chip that you can stick on the back of your phone, or a pre-paid MasterCard that draws from the same account. We’re not quite sure when you’ll be able to use the service, though, as Boku hasn’t announced any carrier or merchant partners yet.
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