Banks "compete" UnionPay mobile payment platform for the white-hot

As the "spoiler" continues to emerge, the mobile payment ecology seems to be on the eve of a dramatic change.

The domestic payment market, with UnionPay as the "overlord", is undergoing sweeping changes: in addition to the traditional business of paying Mr Ma's network to pay for the challenge and encroachment on UnionPay, traditional banks have also stirred up in the face of a rapidly changing and profitable mobile payment market.

"China's commercial banks should be involved in promoting the development of industry standards in the global rankings," he said. Ling, President of MasterCard Greater China, said to the daily economic news reporter.

With traditional banks joining the "rivalry" camp, the elephant UnionPay of the past years will face a more complex situation.

The latest "challenge" comes from Citic Bank. Recently, the bank said, has signed a mobile phone payment cooperation agreement with a number of commercial organizations, launched a new payment tool, in addition to all the features of UnionPay mobile platform, but also added two-dimensional code payment function. Citic in with UnionPay "deep cooperation" on the basis of, but launched a "bypass" UnionPay mobile payment, more convenient two-dimensional code payment to encroach on mobile phone payment market, which flavor, self-evident.

Bank bets on both sides

Institutions in the same field are rapidly transforming competing relationships. Three weeks after Citic Bank launched its NFC payment tool based on China UnionPay, Citic Bank again launched a two-dimensional code can be implemented without card payment tools, as long as the use of the download CITIC Bank mobile Phone Bank client and bank card bundle, without card, mobile phone sweep, 15 seconds to complete the payment process.

With the further popularization of mobile payment, especially near-field payment, the development potential of the trusted service management platform is very considerable, both the UnionPay and the bank are hoping to build the payment platform.

"At present, it is not yet certain that the two-dimensional code payment will become the mainstream of mobile payment, and UnionPay's NFC payment can not necessarily be mainstream, our new payment method and UnionPay mobile payment platform complement each other, but more than UnionPay mobile payment platform more than two-dimensional code payment method." "Xu Peng, assistant general manager of CITIC Bank's headquarters network, said in an interview with the Daily economic news.

So why do companies have to introduce new payment options after they have joined the UnionPay payment platform? In the domestic mobile payment industry chain Enterprises, whether it is China UnionPay, telecom operators, commercial banks or third-party payment agencies are struggling to build their own payment platform, but in fact, every company involved in mobile payment, may become a platform of participants, and can become a platform of few. In the view of platform participants, the key to join the platform is the user scale and the benefit-sharing mechanism, and whether the users use the platform or the type and quality of the platform's application and service.

"A large enough user base, a reasonable distribution mechanism, a standardized and open system is the key to the healthy operation of the platform ecosystem." But ultimately it depends on the user's choice. "MasterCard China general manager Evergreen told reporters.

"Banks have to have their own model, otherwise they will controlled." Xu Peng said that the UnionPay payment platform for banks, the application of the scene by UnionPay, operators locked, the bank is difficult to promote independent innovation, because the innovation of the application scenario must be through the platform.

The cost of the platform

Spoilers are breaking into the door, but the news is not all optimistic. Xu Peng said that UnionPay's current POS does not support two-dimensional code payments. If the power of Citic Bank, paved on the support of two-dimensional code to pay the POS is bound to be a huge investment.

It should be said that technological innovation has brought the imagination of the financial sector, but ultimately which payment method can be successful, the key is the choice of users.

Although the two-dimensional code payment has greatly improved the convenience of consumers to pay, but for the merchant, the cost is also unavoidable problem.

Big Fish is a national chain catering enterprises, the company in Beijing, said in an interview with the Daily Economic news reporter, the current store has only one POS, the bank responsible for installation costs, if another bank to provide better service and convenience is also willing to accept.

At present, most of the domestic POS Union UnionPay combined with various types of banking institutions, the Chinese central bank is vigorously promoting chip cards, and UnionPay president Luode in the daily economic news reporter, said that the use of IC card POS also support NFC payments. But Xu Peng said that there are four different payment models, including NFC payment with China UnionPay and Chinese mobile, but the two-dimensional code payment is not, UnionPay's POS temporarily does not support two-dimensional code payment.

It is understood that supporting the two-dimensional code to pay the POS per station cost roughly 2000 yuan ~3000 yuan. If Citic Bank's two-dimensional code payment is to occupy the consumer's mobile screen, it will be a huge investment to add a new POS to the contract merchant.

"We cannot replace the merchants of UnionPay on a large scale, and the banks do not have the strength." We encourage credit card, Citic's credit card share is limited, we have to find their own way to go their own mode. Xu Peng to reporters.

Cao Tong, deputy governor of Citic Bank, has another saying: "We are not a model of bank all." This year, the main task is to include two-dimensional code payment models to market, do a good job of market user testing and customer experience. Real customer volume, operating income, and even the increase in profits is in the next year's budget, not in the budget. ”

Cao Tong also told the Daily Economic news reporter that the system would be open to more banks, and that the liquidation must be through UnionPay, and that the fee between the receipt line and the issuing line would be in accordance with the established rules of UnionPay.

Evergreen believes that there are a lot of participating institutions in the near-field payment industry chain, and there are some difficulties in coordinating the interests of the participants, and the industry is still at the primary stage in China, and has not yet formed a stable industrial pattern. It is unrealistic for any party to rely on its own power to dominate the industry, and only through cooperation can we promote the development of mobile payment in China. The bank actively participates in the innovation promotion of the new technology is worth affirming, otherwise will bring the great inconvenience to the consumer.

At present, although the domestic mobile payment in the ascendant, and even some enterprises have formed a certain brand awareness, but no one has a clear core competitiveness, so it is difficult to predict the mobile internet era Star Bank is.

(Responsible editor: Lu Guang)