Comments on: Will alternative payments spell the end of credit cards? http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2007/04/27/will-alternative-payments-spell-the-end-of-credit-cards/ Think. It ain't illegal yet... Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:13:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ilona http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2007/04/27/will-alternative-payments-spell-the-end-of-credit-cards/comment-page-1/#comment-64845 Ilona Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:12:24 +0000 http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/?p=407#comment-64845 Many Americans have adopted the option of charging services other than long distance to their home phone; however with the decline in landlines, mobile phone operators in the US are still slower to accept non digital services on the phone bill. Wireline billing has been around for a while; in fact placing third party charges onto a telephone bill has been in practice since the time of Bell System Divestiture in 1982. As part of the breakup of the phone company, it was mandated that the regional bell operating companies (RBOCs), and subsequently most phone companies, would allow other providers of telecommunication services to place their third party charges onto the local phone company bill. The intent and result was to increase competition in the industry, and then it led to the acceptance of services other than long distance and local service, to enhanced services, like voicemail, Internet dial up, internet access, web hosting, and in 2005, some phone companies expanded their own initiatives and now include IPTV, video on demand and digital content services. So companies, like ILD Teleservices (www.ildteleservices.com) aggregate third party charges for merchants to place on phone bill. It’s a fascinating business and it’s exciting to watch other countries quickly adopt the use of charges for products and services to the mobile phone. We shall see where all of this leads… Many Americans have adopted the option of charging services other than long distance to their home phone; however with the decline in landlines, mobile phone operators in the US are still slower to accept non digital services on the phone bill. Wireline billing has been around for a while; in fact placing third party charges onto a telephone bill has been in practice since the time of Bell System Divestiture in 1982. As part of the breakup of the phone company, it was mandated that the regional bell operating companies (RBOCs), and subsequently most phone companies, would allow other providers of telecommunication services to place their third party charges onto the local phone company bill.

The intent and result was to increase competition in the industry, and then it led to the acceptance of services other than long distance and local service, to enhanced services, like voicemail, Internet dial up, internet access, web hosting, and in 2005, some phone companies expanded their own initiatives and now include IPTV, video on demand and digital content services. So companies, like ILD Teleservices (www.ildteleservices.com) aggregate third party charges for merchants to place on phone bill. It’s a fascinating business and it’s exciting to watch other countries quickly adopt the use of charges for products and services to the mobile phone. We shall see where all of this leads…

]]> By: Sam Smith http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2007/04/27/will-alternative-payments-spell-the-end-of-credit-cards/comment-page-1/#comment-2940 Sam Smith Sat, 28 Apr 2007 14:17:40 +0000 http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/?p=407#comment-2940 My partners and I keep wondering when the mobile companies here are going to figure this out. Eventually we think they can almost become banks. That would be good in a lot of ways - think about the convenience - but at the same time, is there any way in hell that you could get me, even at gunpoint, to do my banking with AT&T Wireless? Nuh-uh. Google? More likely, but probably not. Still, you're right - we need to evolve a model that serves us better. Fingers crossed. My partners and I keep wondering when the mobile companies here are going to figure this out. Eventually we think they can almost become banks. That would be good in a lot of ways – think about the convenience – but at the same time, is there any way in hell that you could get me, even at gunpoint, to do my banking with AT&T Wireless?

Nuh-uh. Google? More likely, but probably not.

Still, you’re right – we need to evolve a model that serves us better. Fingers crossed.

]]> By: Jim Booth http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2007/04/27/will-alternative-payments-spell-the-end-of-credit-cards/comment-page-1/#comment-2939 Jim Booth Sat, 28 Apr 2007 13:11:52 +0000 http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/?p=407#comment-2939 Martin, great post - if mobile and alternative payment options will wean us as citizens (note I won't use the other "c word" that corporations and our government want us to use to refer to ourselves) from credit cards and other forms of what you so beautifully denominate "indentured servitude," that would be a healthy, healthy change for our country.... Check cards were a wonderful baby step in the right direction for the U.S., but mobile payments - with, one assumes, the ability to view and manage one's accounts as part of the service - would be a long stride toward re-equalizing the balance between democracy and its closest enemy/companion - capitalism.... And our country needs that balance restored as fully as possible.... Martin, great post – if mobile and alternative payment options will wean us as citizens (note I won’t use the other “c word” that corporations and our government want us to use to refer to ourselves) from credit cards and other forms of what you so beautifully denominate “indentured servitude,” that would be a healthy, healthy change for our country….

Check cards were a wonderful baby step in the right direction for the U.S., but mobile payments – with, one assumes, the ability to view and manage one’s accounts as part of the service – would be a long stride toward re-equalizing the balance between democracy and its closest enemy/companion – capitalism…. And our country needs that balance restored as fully as possible….

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