Efficient M-Commerce Platform for Developing Countries

Mobile phones have become an integral part of a vast majority of people’s daily lives. It is becoming rare to conduct any form of communication between individuals without a mobile phone. Research continues on the integration of mobile phones and e-commerce solutions. Developed countries already use systems for such commercial transactions however developing countries, for example those in the Caribbean, face challenges in adopting such systems. This paper proposes a system that would allow users to carry out financial transactions with their mobile phones as well as manage their financial activities. The system, which we call PayPhone, allows customers in developing countries to pay for items by tapping their phone against a terminal that supports Near-Field Communications (NFC). The system is compared to other systems such as the debit card based system, LINX, in the Caribbean and other systems in developing and developed countries. We also explore and discuss other possible short-range technology options