Communications of the ACM
Microsoft Raises Mobile Payment Bar With Zero-Effort Payment
The experimental Zero-Effort Payment system will allow consumers to use their mobile phones to buy things, without needing to remove their handsets from their pockets.
Credit: V3.co.uk
Microsoft researchers are testing an experimental mobile payment system that could eventually be used on its Windows Phone platform. The system, dubbed Zero-Effort Payment (ZEP), enables users to pay for goods without having to get out their handset.
Microsoft Research's Stefan Saroiu notes ZEP can provide frequent buyer discounts without requiring users to carry a loyalty card. The system integrates Bluetooth technology with face-recognition technology, and can detect when a user who has signed up for the service has entered a shop. "Fortunately, the Bluetooth system narrows the set of potential identities to just those standing within wireless range," say Microsoft researchers. "The combination of these two technologies lets our solution meet its speed, cost, and accuracy goals."
The system presents cashiers with a choice of four possible faces displayed on a tablet housed near the cash register, and they must select the right face when the customer is ready to pay. The system then emails the customer with a confirmation of the purchase, including a 10-second video.
Microsoft is testing the system at one of its cafeterias and at a coffee stand at its TechFest conference using specially built key fobs.
From V3.co.uk
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