Apple patents coupons and mobile marketing propositions

APPLE has filed patent applications in the US that suggest it is now looking to offer a range of mobile commerce services covering payments and marketing.

Following of Apple rolling out its iAd mobile advertising offering, these patent applications show the company is set to complete value chain from marketing to purchase in the m-commerce channel.

Apple is also considering the development of a ticketing and coupon solution called iCoupons or Ticketing+ - that they hope will revolutionise the mobile coupon and ticketing businesses and bring them mainstream.

Apple is reported to have thus far put in four mobile payment patent applications relating to peer-to-peer (P2P) payments, with talk that iTunes may evolve into a mobile currency, with the service acting as a payment options along with bank transfer, credit and debit card options. The other applications allude to the use of a portable device such as a mobile point of purchase or POS terminal.

The move sees Apple embarking upon a course toward the objective of achieving in the field of mobile payments, mobile retailing and wireless entertainments what it has in the mobile phone, music, gaming and m-web arenas.

Leave your comments:
(Please note all comments are subject to an approval process before publication, no HTML or scripts allowed.)