PayPal demos new smartphone payment feature

PayPal today demonstrated a new payment feature that lets users tap two mobile phones together to transfer money.

The new widget, which is currently only available on Samsung's Android Nexus S phones, uses near-field communications technology. PayPal plans to bring "NFC payments to life on the Android platform," said Laura Chambers, senior director of mobile operations, in a PayPal blog post.

Chambers showed off the new feature at today's MobileBeat conference in San Francisco.

PayPal going mobile

Mobile payments driving
 PayPal growth

When Scott Thompson, the president of PayPal, chats with executives at it parent, Ebay, he is diplomatic about the size of his business compared with Ebay's marketplace. But in fact, PayPal, the online payment service, is quickly narrowing the gap. By adding legions of new users and online retailers, PayPal is threatening to overtake Ebay's struggling marketplace as the biggest breadwinner in a few years, reports the New York Times. Read more

Related article

• PayPal developer platform to see $1 bln in volume (Reuters)

PayPal's new iPhone app being tested in San Francisco

PayPal has just updated its popular iPhone app that lets users find nearby merchants that accept PayPal as a form of payment. The feature is initially being tested in San Francisco. PayPal President Scott Thompson explains the potential of the local payments market in the video below:



Related articles

• PayPal Beats Google Checkout To The Local Payments Market But Will It Work? (TCTV) (techcrunch.com)
• PayPal Enlists Mobile Developers in Fight With Visa (businessweek.com)
• Buying Facebook goods, just a few cents at a time (cnn.com)