While online shopping has become a standard method of making a purchase, mobile commerce is starting to make up an increasing proportion of the sales that are occurring over the internet, and a recent study has found that this is more common on certain days of the week. The mobile commerce report that included this data was issued by Opera and it showed that people are using their smartphones and tablets most often on Sunday and least often on Friday, when it came to shopping online. The study that was conducted provided a considerable amount of insight, as it broke down the …

New research from several sources last week shows that while mobile sales are growing this holiday season, users are frustrated with the mobile shopping experience and that social commerce could be next year’s fastest rising star.  Ultimately, unsatisfactory mobile experiences are causing frustration among consumers. While they have certain expectations from retailers in regards to mobile capabilities, such as payments and a seamless user experience, a significant portion of retailers are dropping the ball this holiday season.

Regal Entertainment Group, the company behind movie theatre chain Regal Cinemas, is aiming to drive last-minute holiday sales online and on mobile devices by enticing consumers with a free $10 mobile-optimized Regal eGift card for every $50 in eGift cards purchased. The eGift cards may redeemed via Google Wallet at the concession stand, and can be accessed with the tap of a finger on a mobile screen. Regal Entertainment hopes that this incentive, which is available through Dec. 26, will fuel more shoppers to buy movie tickets online during the busy holiday week.

In 2007, Apple gave the chance to developers to develop apps and publish apps on the app store which developers could use. Apple supported this platform and is continuing to do so. Not in an exact one-to-one analogy, but Apple is trying to do the same for POS players. From the consumer perspective, Apple has brought its contactless mobile payments service Apple Pay bringing in both hardware and software payments solutions. On the merchant side, it is now allowing developers to bring in both hardware and software solutions to incorporate Apple Pay for merchants. Here are 9 such POS players …

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has announced that it has filed a lawsuit against Sprint, one of the largest telecommunications companies in the United States. The lawsuit accuses the company of illegally processing charges through a third party. This marks the first time that the agency has pursued legal action against a telecommunications company and the lawsuit is also bringing more scrutiny to themobile payments space. Mobile payments have become quite common among consumers. Many people are opting to pay their phone bills and other charges with their mobile devices rather than pay these charges on a home computer. 

TD Bank is rolling out its first mobile application for tablets to reach a wider target audience of consumers looking to conduct online banking on personal devices. The bank developed the tablet app, available for iOS and Android platforms, after discovering many of its customers were using tablets to visit the Web site or were using the mobile app on tablet devices. The TD Bank tablet app offers the same functionalities and feel as the mobile app, but is optimized for a larger screen.

At this time of year, there is so much going on in terms of gift buying and wrapping, making travel arrangements, and ensuring that everything is packed for the intended destination, it can be easy to forget to take certain steps such as holding the mail, but USPS has created a mobile app to help travelers to overcome this struggle. When traveling away from home for more than a day or two, placing a hold on mail is a good idea, for several reasons, including security. That said, while many people do intend to do it, it is among the easiest details …

PT Rakuten Belanja Online, the local unit of leading Japanese e-commerce player Rakuten Inc., plans to introduce its new mobile phone application early next year as part of its long-term strategy to tap into Indonesia’s growing online shopping market. Rakuten Belanja Online director Yasunobu Hashimoto said the beta version of the app, especially developed for Indonesian customers, could be downloaded from online app stores for smartphones and gadgets with Android and iOS operating systems. The company, which is the world’s largest e-commerce player, created the app based on 2014 research that predicted around 25 percent of Indonesian consumers would utilize mobile gadgets …

Samsung Electronics Co. said Friday that it would discontinue in most countries a mobile-messaging chat service that it had heavily promoted in recent years, the latest sign of the South Korean technology giant's struggles to gain traction building the software and services that run on its best-selling smartphones. Samsung said in a statement it would end support for the service, called ChatON, on Feb. 1 next year in all markets except the U.S. to focus on services in "health, mobile commerce and other platforms." The statement cited the "fast- changing market environment" for the decision.

Vodafone Netherlands is starting a test of Blueetooth beacons in its shops to interact with customers using the My Vodafone app. The small Bluetooth transmitters will be tested in a handful of shops. Customers with an iPhone, the latest version of the app and giving permission over Bluetooth will be sent shop information on their phone when near the beacons. This will include a welcome message and information about handsets and tariff plans. The trial will run the next two months in shops in Haarlem, Alkmaar and Hoorn. If successful, the beacons may also offer …