UK smart phone users ready for NFC, survey shows
15 April, 2011
category: NFC
MyVoucherCodes, makers of the eponymous mobile app that uses GPS to give users discounts, has conducted a survey finding that a majority of British smart phone users want NFC contactless technology.
Of the 1,267 smart phone users polled, 672 (53%) said that they would welcome the new mobile phone technology, while a further 27% stated that they felt ‘unsure’ about the ability to purchase items with a mobile phone handset. Some 18% claimed that they ‘don’t want’ the technology to be introduced in the UK.
Respondents who claimed to ‘welcome’ NFC technology were then asked to explain their reasons for feeling this way. More than two thirds stated they would welcome the technology because they believed it would make purchasing ‘more convenient.’ 19% explained that they would welcome the technology because it would ‘reduce’ the need to constantly carry cards and cash.
The majority (59%) of the respondents who stated that they ‘don’t want’ the technology introduced in the UK explained that they were concerned about the safety risks involved in contactless payment. A further 14% explained that they felt the technology may lead to a ‘lack of control’ over the monitoring of their finances.
Respondents were also asked if they would like to see contactless payment technology rolled out to other devices. 39% stated that they would like to see the technology on tablet computers, such as the iPad.
Mark Pearson, chairman of MyVoucherCodes, comments: “Technology is forever adapting and I think it was only a matter of time before technology would allow people to purchase things with a simple swipe of their mobile phone handset. While it is natural for people to have concerns over the safety of the technology, they must remember that the same issues were raised at the introduction of the chip and pin technology; which is now widely accepted across the world.”