With more and more merchant services such as ticketing, bill payments, and other essential services are being made available online, only a small segment of the population can avail of them. This is especially true in emerging markets where though cards have become the universal method of consumer electronic payments, a large percent of the population do not have access to these methods of payments.

On the other hand, the mobile device is found in more places that were previously not conceivable. Many service providers including mobile operators and hand set manufacturers are working rapidly toward leveraging the mobile device for payments. Many markets have launched mobile payments with varied degree of success.

enStage brings extensive payment domain expertise and payment infrastructure to the mobile channel. While most solutions are being designed for the high-end consumer, enStage is getting back to the basics with its Mobile Financial Services (MFS). Although these services are simple to use, each transaction is authenticated to ensure the security needed in a financial transaction.

Supporting closed and open loop payments:

• Our solution set provides capabilities for both universally accepted open loop payment instruments as well as closed loop payments on the mobile for lower end of the payment market
• Our open loop mobile card can be generated using bank accounts, cards, or even cash
• Our closed loop solution can be utilized for providing essential services as well as a cash substitute

Enabling payments on the mobile for all players:

• Consumer: the consumer can access their funds – be it in a bank account, on a card, or cash – using their mobile. The consumer makes merchant payments using simple steps. Since majority of consumer base still relies on basic hand sets, our service can be accessed using SMS or using an application on the mobile that uses GPRS.
• Merchant: just as a large segment of consumers don’t have access to open loop payment capabilities, merchants too face this issue. enStage provides the mobile POS for these merchants to be able to accept both open and closed loop payments. Our payment solutions work for brick and mortar, online, on mobile, as well as IVR merchants.
• Agent: enabling mobile payments requires cash exchange for majority of the markets. Our agent solution helps consumers load and withdraw cash with the help of agents.

Mobile handsets are getting more sophisticated in the technology they support such as NFC and more consumers have started moving to these high-end handsets. Till the time these technologies have a deep penetration, mobile payments still need to remain simple yet secure.