Korea's No. 1 mobile messenger KakaoTalk will start its own mobile wallet service by which the users can make wire transfers and transactions in the second half of 2014. On May 29, according to financial industry sources, Kakao Inc. will start servicing "Bank Wallet Kakao" which is an electronic wallet for wire transfer, online and offline transaction and ATM transaction. Anyone over 14 of age registered to Internet banking service is eligible for the service and can recharge up to 500,000 won as "bank money." Only one account is allowed for each device. Bank Wallet Kakao allows wire transfers up …

The Indian unit of online retailer eBay is betting on surging smartphone usage in tandem with expansion of third- and fourth-generation services to fuel internet shopping in India. The company, which has 31% of its traffic coming from mobile devices, is optimistic about m-commerce, which is gaining traction in non-metros as well as in rural areas with the increasing usage of internet-enabled low-cost devices, eBay India managing director Latif Nathani told ET. Research firm Frost & Sullivan estimates that as many as 150 million mobile-phone users in India access internet on phones and other mobile devices. That presents a huge …

The Westfield San Francisco Centre is piloting a new mobile solution enabling customers order food from several food retailers and dining establishments in the mall, with users able to schedule an order for pick-up or have it delivered. To drive awareness, the Westfield San Francisco Centre mall is pairing well-known local food bloggers with chefs from its restaurants to create exclusive menu items only available through the Dine on Time experience.

With the rise of mobile commerce, retailers are testing ways to capture the dollars of shoppers on the go, or, "transumers." As more shoppers are commuting versus driving to work, there's a big opportunity for retailers to grab "the consumer interest in those in-between places," like subway stations, said Lynn Dornblaser, director of innovation and insight with the Mintel Group, during a session entitled, "Up Close and Personal With Retail's Greatest, Coolest, Newest Products" at the National Retail Federation's Big Show in January.