AT&T and Apriva turns your Windows Mobile cell phone into a sell phone

Apriva, a leading wireless transactions and secure information solutions provider, has announced the availability of two wireless Point-of-Sale (POS) solutions designed specifically to serve the needs of mobile merchants. AprivaPayâ„¢ is a browser-based application that allows businesses to directly process credit card transactions through web-enabled mobile phones. AprivaPayâ„¢ Professional is a smartphone application that enables merchants to seamlessly transform their devices into full-featured credit card processing terminals.

"Customers expect to pay for purchases in the method most convenient for them, regardless if they are in a store, at home, or at a remote site. More often than not, this translates into card-based payments," explains Bill Clark, executive vice president, North America, of Apriva’s Point of Sale division. "AprivaPay and AprivaPay Professional continue Apriva’s longstanding ability to give merchants a simple and reliable method to accept and process credit card transactions in the field. Our latest solutions are easy to access, easy to use, and adhere to the strictest security standards in the industry. Most importantly, they allow mobile merchants to improve efficiency, reduce operating costs, and enhance customer service."

AprivaPay Professional is a robust solution that turns any compatible smartphone into a credit card terminal. By downloading Apriva’s secure transaction processing software onto their device, mobile merchants can leverage the same functionality as any traditional credit card processing terminal. Merchants also can combine the AprivaPay Professional software with an optional printer/magnetic strip reader, giving businesses a unique low-cost alternative to the standalone credit card terminals currently on the market. AprivaPay Professional customers can even process transactions when they do not have network connectivity by securely storing encrypted transactional data and generating authorizations once network coverage resumes.

"Our research indicates that a growing number of businesses are interested in a cost-effective tool to process credit card payments through their mobile phones," says Vikrant Gandhi, an analyst with Frost & Sullivan. "AprivaPay and AprivaPay Professional offer a reliable, secure, and comprehensive solution for businesses that can benefit from processing credit card payments in the field. These solutions offer a strategic fit to merchants who see remote credit card processing capabilities as an important element to grow their businesses."

Apriva has offered a wide array of mobile payment devices, including the VeriFone line of wireless transaction terminals, for many years.

Michael Antieri, president of advanced enterprise services for AT&T, said that the service will allow small businesses to create virtual storefronts while in the field rather than rely on later billing or processing checks. “Sales increase when small businesses accept payment cards,” Antieri said in a statement. “And given that an overwhelming majority of small businesses use smartphones, offering a mobile application that ties together payment cards and smartphones makes perfect sense.”

AprivaPay and AprivaPay Professional are available through Apriva’s nationwide network of partners, including most leading banks, merchant acquirers, credit card processors and independent sales organizations (ISOs.) AT&T is offering the browser-based service for $15 a month and the Windows Mobile native app service for $20 a month.  To learn more, visit www.aprivapay.com

Via Computerworld and Connectedplanetoline.com