Skip to main content

    Most Americans don't plan to use mobile payment systems, says survey

    Most Americans don't plan to use mobile payment systems, says survey

    /

    A new survey from the University of California, Berkeley suggests that most Americans aren't quite ready to start paying for things in stores with their phones.

    Share this story

    Google Wallet NFC contactless payment (1020)
    Google Wallet NFC contactless payment (1020)

    New mobile payment solutions are launching left and right, but if a study from the University of California, Berkeley is any indication, Americans aren't quite ready to start paying with their phones. According to the study — which surveyed 1,203 "adult internet users" in the US and was fully funded by Nokia — 74 percent of those questioned say that they don't plan on adopting any sort of mobile payment service. The main issue appears to be one of privacy.

    An overwhelming 96 percent of respondents said that they were against any system that would use their phones to track them as they browse a store, while 81 percent objected to sharing phone number or home address information with a retailer through mobile payments. However, people were less concerned when it came to their email address, with only 51 percent saying that they were against sharing it. But while this might be the case now, other recent surveys suggest that mobile payments could become widespread within the next decade. Who knows — TGI Friday's could end up being a trendsetter.