• by Steve Smith  @popeyesm, November 8, 2011

Consumers' reticence over using their phones to shop may be melting faster than many expected, given the right motivation. In a survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers, 62% said they were willing to use their cell phones to make a purchase if offered an opportunity by coupon, discount offers, text alerts, gift cards or loyalty points.

A similar survey last year at this time cited only 32% showing such m-commerce readiness. The study was from two interested parties, mobile messaging and m-commerce provider Sybase 365 and the Mobile Marketing Association.

Interestingly, special offers are not the only driver of m-commerce appeal, but they may be the incentive that gets people to move from using phones to research goods into actual purchasing.

The survey finds that even without incentives, 56% of respondents were expecting to use their devices for shopping-related activities this holiday. More than a third (38%) will likely use the device to find store locations, 34% to compare prices, 28% to research deals or find coupons, and 27% to get product reviews.

The actual impetus to buy by mobile device, however, does plummet without a direct incentive or prompt, as only 22% said they would make a purchase on their devices.

Generally, consumers remain unsure as to which mobile payment options are available, let alone reliable and trusted. The survey asked what m-payment solution might increase their use of direct m-commerce. A quarter said that a payment solution tied to their own financial institution would encourage their greater use of mobile payments, and 22% would be encouraged by PayPal availability. Only 18% said the presence of a credit card solution would persuade them to use mobile commerce.