SMS in Micropayments

Mobipay your Bus Ticket - 17 June 2004

Mobipay payment system via mobile phone will be extended to Spanish public transport before the end of 2004, reports near near future

"Users will be able to pay for their bus, metro or tram ticket via their handset, a confirmation message will be displayed on their screen and serve as e-ticket.

The m-payment system is already accepted on several taxi networks or fastfoods, cinemas and bookshops."

Mobile Ticket Service for Dutch Railways - Feb 6 2004

Dutch Railways International have announced the trial a mobile ticket service available for ICE International travellers heading from Amsterdam to Cologne/Frankfurt in Germany. The pilot system will mean travellers from Holland no longer have to line up to buy their train ticket, if they have access to a mobile phone and an Internet connection. After having booked a ticket on the website of NS International, the consumer receives an SMS-ticket on his mobile phone. Once in the train, the conductor will check the unique code in the SMS. Yahoo Business

Buying ice-cream by SMS - Dec 18 2003

Since this summer, food giant NestlÈ in partnership with French mobile operator Orange, has been selling ice cream by text messaging, in a test project involving between 300 and 400 ice cream dispensers placed in community swimming pools, shopping malls and other public places.

To order an ice cream from the vending machine, the customer need simply to send an SMS, indicating the code under the flavour of ice cream he would like to purchase. The ice cream will then drop down on to a shelf and the customer received a confirmation message of payment.

From: Que choisir

Cell Phones Now Debit Cards in South Korea - Oct 13 2003

In one of South Korea's latest efforts to establish itself as a technology trendsetter, the country's three telecom giants, major credit card companies and several banks have been working for a year to enable Koreans to pay for everything from groceries to gasoline by cell phone. Handsets have a debit card inside, and pushing its "hot key" beams the information to complete the transaction, according to Silicon Valley.com via Smart Mobs

"Instead of handing over credit or debit cards that get swiped, users type their passcode on the phone keypad, point the device at a special receiver on a checkout counter and press a key. It's as simple as operating a TV remote."

M-Parking a Huge Success in Vienna - Oct 11 2003

Just one week after its introduction in Vienna on 1 October, m-parking has become the most popular m-commerce project in Austria. By Day 7, a total of 20,604 m-parking applications had been received, a milestone which was not expected to be reached until April 2004, according to BWCS via Fiercewireless.

"The m-parking system, which is being financed by the City of Vienna and provided by Siemens and Mobilkom Austria, allows users to pay for parking via their mobile handsets. Similar teleparking schemes have been successfully trialled in Singapore and Australia".

SMS-Enabled Chocolate Vending Machine - Aug 8 2003

An SMS-enabled (Cadbury) chocolate vending machine launched today in Mumbai, India, reports The Hindu.

A BPL mobile customer only needs to send a message to a short code number displayed on the LCD panel of the machine; the machine then displays the customer's mobile number and asks for the choice of chocolate. When the chocolate has been dispensed, the customer receives an SMS confirming the transaction.

A similar vending machine exists in Switzerland for dispensing coca cola, in a partnership with mobile operator Swisscom.

London Traffic Tax - Feb 26 2003

On February 17, London initiated a new plan to ease traffic congestion which cripples the city, "bringing into operation the largest congestion charging scheme the world has ever seen", according to the Mayor.

A tax of £5 ($8.00) is now being asked of motorists who drive into the city every day under the surveillance of 800 cameras in and around an eight-square-mile, which monitors their licence plates.

Payment can be made through a call center, online, at one of 1,500 retail outlets, or by SMS.

Transport for London, publishes a weekly summary of traffic improvement with this new scheme. For more info, read The Guardian