I realize that ads based on recent activity are effective. But it's still slightly unnerving, wondering whether you've lost every last bit of privacy or that you've been hit by an adware virus. But overall, it's good to get relevant offers, especially when one has a $10 bonus in it (see AmEx below).

Here's the two ads tossed my way while I was checking the status of my son's flight today:

I wrote a blog post on Serve yesterday (see AmEx promo on top of the page) and have been banging around insurance sites (see Geico ad on right) for the past two weeks as I wrap up a report on the subject.

AmEx Serve offer
Perhaps because I didn't sign up yesterday, American Express is throwing me $10 to try Serve, its P2P payments service. Here's the excellent landing page (link):

After entering your email address, the button turns to a thank-you. It's good feedback for the user and keeps them from accidentally submitting the form twice.

Here's the email sent a few moments later:

----------------------

Notes:
1. Button credit Zazzle.com
2. We covered P2P payments two years ago in our Online Banking Report (subscription).

It's a problem as old as money itself. The person making a purchase on behalf of a group inevitably gets stuck with a larger share as others "forget" to pay him/her back (note 1).

Two weeks ago, American Express launched a clever product tie-in on TicketMaster to help change that. After making a purchase, a prominently placed box suggests using Serve to "Get Paid Back." Buyers are encouraged to use Serve to send money requests to friends for their share of the tickets. Given how social ticket purchasing is, it's a great place to introduce P2P.

But there's still the not-so-small problem of getting everyone signed up. Both sender and recipient must have Serve accounts. And while all transaction are currently free, the FAQs warn that coming Jan 1, there will be a fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction funded via credit card. Checking account (ACH)-based transactions will remain free.

To beat PayPal at this game, the service needs more than just well-placed ads. For example, integration directly into the Ticketmaster shopping cart, where buyers could enter friends' email addresses to automatically "charge" them their share (subject to their approval of course).

-------------------------------------

Product placement after purchasing on Ticketmaster (11 Nov 2011)

Landing page

--------------------------

Note: We covered P2P payments two years ago in our Online Banking Report (subscription). 

During an an onstage interview at The Wall Street Journal's AsiaD conference, Jack Dorsey said he was working with banks to distribute Square readers/accounts directly to bank customers.

Since it was Honk Kong, I was thinking OCBC or HSBC. But it turns out the first financial institution (note 1) to take Jack up on his offer, is WV United FCU, a 5,000-member CU headquartered in Charleston, West Virginia. If that name sounds familiar, it's because it was the first financial institution in the world to implement mobile remote check deposit in August 2009 (previous post). WV United is also featuring Dwolla P2P/alt-payments on its homepage.   

• Square: The CU is promoting Square on its home page (see screenshot #1 below). Square is the first of five promotions that rotate across the top (see also Dwolla below). The promotion features the 2.75% merchant rate and uses the @square Twitter feed to make it more interesting. The landing page invites members to signup for Square and redirects them to the startup's webpage. It doesn't appear there are any official affiliate arrangements. But Square allows payments to be transferred to any bank account, so WV United members can have the proceeds automatically deposited to the CU account.
  
• Dwolla: The Dwolla connection is more integrated, with a co-branded online account opening page (screenshot #4). There is also more info loaded onto the CU's page including a short video, the @dwolla Twitter feed, and a features/benefits section.

Bottom line: No one is going to accuse 11-employee WV United FCU of not keeping up, innovation-wise, with the big banks. In fact, it's setting the pace in some areas, albeit in a more "bolted on" fashion (note 2). Granted there's little, if any, direct revenue from these efforts. But they also require no infrastructure investment. So, if they keep members satisfied and employees excited, then it's a win.

----------------------------------------

1. WV United FCU homepage (14 Nov 2011)
Note: The credit union leveraged Bank Transfer Day for another 10 days (lower right). Smart.

2. Landing page for Square promo (14 Nov 2011, link)
Note: Square Twitter feed on right

3. Landing page for Dwolla promo (link)

4. Co-branded online account opening (link)

Notes:
1. They are the first that I've heard of. There could be others linking to Square in a similar fashion.
2. When I say "bolted on" I mean that the experience isn't integrated with other WV United online offerings. Integrated is best, but bolted on is a good way to test the market and keep costs down.
3. For more info on P2P payments and other topics, see our subscription service, Online Banking Report.

After seeing The Social Network and reading yet another post about the ramifications of Facebook's ubiquity, I sent this out via Twitter last week:

Today, the "PayPal dial-tone" got louder with the launch of a handful of new initiatives at the company's second annual developer's conference in San Francisco (which drew 2,500):

• PayPal for Digital Goods: Two-click checkout for low-value digital goods eliminates the hassle of logging in
• PayPal Embedded Payments: Pay without leaving the merchant's app
• PayPal Apps: Allows companies to embed applications into the PayPal website: Finovate alums Credit Karma, Expensify, and Bill.com are participating
• PayPal Business Payments: Electronic payments (non-credit card) of any size for just $0.50 per transaction 
• PayPal Mobile enhancements:
  -- Express Checkout provides similar two-click process
  -- VeriFone integration
  -- v3.0 iPhone app

Unless you are a developer, most of those programs mean little to you other than it's obvious that PayPal is really pushing on the gas right now. But the banking alliances revealed today are quite interesting, assuming they make it to market:

• USAA announced it will use PayPal to power peer-to-peer payments in 2011 (blog entry).
• Discover Card announced a similar service, called Money Messenger (press release). No word on when it will roll out.

I'm sure there will be much speculation on whether these powered-by-PayPal services will disrupt payments, or even catch on for that matter. But it's clear that PayPal has made important new alliances in the banking world. The dial-tone appears to be catching on, even with the establishment.   

Update: More context on these announcements from Russ Jones, Glenbrook Partners, here.

Chase Bank rolled out a major new release to its iPhone app on Thursday (v. 2.3.1) with the addition of both remote deposit capture and peer-to-peer (P2P) payments (see inset). Chase is the first to support both those important features in its mobile app (note 1). This post covers remote deposit, and I'll look at the P2P feature later.

How it works
I had been looking forward to depositing a check via the magic of the iPhone. But sadly, despite following the directions and capturing a good image of the front and back of the check, the software failed to scan the amount correctly (see screenshot 7).

The Chase app said the check scanned in at $0, despite it being a printed $200 check. I was testing with my trusty version 1 iPhone (circa 2007), which may not have a sharp enough camera. I'll try it on a newer iPhone and update the post. 

Here's the process for new users (click on the thumbnails to view larger versions):

1. The Chase Quick Deposit service has been added to the main navigation bar across the bottom.

2. Customers agree to terms and conditions. Note: The service is limited to $1,000 per day and no more than $3,000 per month, eliminating many businesses as potential users.

3. On the first screen, users enter the dollar amount of the check.

4. The app provides instructions on how to successfully capture the check image.

5. Take pictures of the front and back of the check.

6. Double check image quality.

7. Error message saying that the dollar amount from the scan ($0) did not match the amount entered ($200).

Summary: Despite the glitch on my first deposit attempt, I'm glad to see Chase moving the mobile state-of-the-art forward. I'm sure we'll see remote deposit added to most major mobile banking apps in the near future.

1. Signup screen           2. Customer agreement  3. Enter amount

4. Hints on image capture   5. Photograph the check front and back

6. View photo results                             7. Error message

Notes:
1. USAA was the first major bank with mobile remote deposit, launching it in Sep. 2009; while WV United FCU was the very first with it almost exactly one year ago.
2. For more on mobile banking and payments, see the most recent issue from Online Banking Report.

It's always difficult to gauge actual consumer demand for new services. Traditional market research, while providing some broad intent data (e.g., "yeah, that sounds like something I might buy"), doesn't really do a very good job in telling you whether real customers will use the service. The problem is that in the real world, customers have real concerns about new products and most are unwilling to spend very much time learning about them.

So it's always great to find financial institutions willing to share usage data on their online or mobile services. This week, First General Credit Union wins our undying gratitude (and a free subscription to Netbanker) by revealing its person-to-person payments numbers in the latest issue of Credit Union Journal. 

The CU uses iPay Technologies P2P payment service which is provided at no-cost to its deluxe bill-payment clients. Keep in mind, this is a small $44 million credit union serving 5,000 members, so the raw numbers aren't large but the percentages are interesting:

Number of online banking users:	500 (10% of members)
Number of bill-pay users:	200 (40% of online banking users)
Number of P2P payment users:	3 (1.5% of bill-pay users,        0.6% of online banking users)

Analysis: The credit union says it hasn't promoted the P2P feature, which is offered free of charge. It's not even mentioned on its website, except on slide 22 of its online demo. So this isn't a representative sample for a financial institution looking to drive usage to the product. However, a 2% penetration (of online/mobile customers) is along the lines of what we expect this year nationwide. Longer-term, we expect usage to grow at least 10-fold from that level (see note below).

Note: For more information on P2P payments including a 15-year usage forecast, see our recent Online Banking Report: Making the Case for P2P Payments (published Dec. 2009).

We just published the latest Online Banking Report:

Making the Case for Person-to-Person Payments
Does mobility provide the tipping point for bank-branded P2P?

Author: Jim Bruene, Editor & Founder
Published: 10 Dec. 2009
Size: 40 pages, 10,000 words
Author: Jim Bruene, Editor & Founder
Cost: For OBR subscribers: $0, all others US$495
Abstract/Table of Contents: Here (PDF)
Download or purchase: Here

Background:
If you've been around the industry a while, you probably remember the last time there was a lot of hype around person-to-person (P2P) payments. It was ten years ago and PayPal had just launched and was competing with three well-funded efforts from large banks: Wells Fargo, Bank One (now Chase) and Citibank.

The battlefield at the time was eBay, which desperately needed a trusted payment mechanism, to remove the friction from person-to-person commerce. Well, PayPal won that battle, taking out all three bank competitors and becoming the payment standard at eBay.

But the incumbent banks and credit unions have not lost the war, yet. They still own the customer payments relationship. And even though more than 70% of U.S. online shoppers already have a PayPal account, there are millions of customers that still want an easy way to transfer money to family members, friends, or acquaintances. And increasingly, they will want to send the money via their mobile phone.

While PayPal can handle that type of transaction, it's not necessarily top of mind with consumers when considering how to send $65 to their sister to pay their share of mom's birthday party. 

This is something PayPal recognizes, so they are actively pursuing bank partners to offer co-branded Powered by PayPal P2P payment services. Just last month, PayPal announced deals with S1, FIS, and First Data to make PayPal solutions available to their thousands of clients. The first S1 client to publicly announce the program is Mercantile Bank of Michigan, which is already telling customers about its Q1 2010 launch of PayPal-powered mobile payments (see previous post).

About the report: Published last week, the latest Online Banking Report includes: 

• An overview of the product and market size
• Analysis of features and benefits
• A look at potential revenue streams
• Forecast for online and mobile P2P payment usage (United States only)
• Review of the offerings from key solutions providers and financial institutions, including the latest launch from Univest National Bank & Trust, which just launched a home-grown P2P payments service (see screenshot below)
• Project priority guidance for various types of financial institutions

Companied mentioned: Amazon Payments, American Express, Bank of America, Bank One (Chase), BECU, CashEdge POPmoney, CircleUp SmartPay, First Hawaiian Bank, Fiserv, Geauga Credit Union, ING Direct, iPay Technologies, MasterCard MoneySend, Mercantile Bank of Michigan, Mobile Money Ventures, mPayy, MoneyGram, Obopay, Nokia Money, Patelco Credit Union, PayPal, Revolution Money, TwitPay, Univest Bank & Trust, US Bank, Wells Fargo, Western Union

Univest's new P2P service featured on its homepage (15 Dec 2009)

Note: The report will be mailed to subscribers later this week.

Mercantile Bank of Michigan is riding the wave of free publicity from being first to market (probably) with iPhone-based P2P payments powered by PayPal. That's a triple play in both alliteration and PR value. See the teaser ad on the bank's website below (first screenshot).

The new service, a joint effort from PayPal and S1, is expected to go live in early 2010. It will allow customers to send money directly from their iPhone to any other individual on the worldwide PayPal network. All the sender must know is the recipient's mobile phone number or email address. According to the five-question FAQ on the landing page (see second screenshot), the service will be available to all MercMobile customers and will be free of charge.

Mercantile Bank has become one of the most innovative banks we follow. Congratulations to CIO John Schulte and his team for leading the industry on several fronts and providing great material for Netbanker (previous posts here; note 1).

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For more on the P2P payments market, see our latest Online Banking Report, published earlier this week, Making the Case for Person-to-Person Payments. 

Mercantile Bank's powered-by-PayPal mobile P2P app (7 Dec. 2009):

Mercantile Bank of Michigan homepage (8 Dec. 2009):
Note: MercMobile P2P Payment teaser in lower left and home-based remote-deposit capture on the top banner.

P2P payments landing page (link)

Note:
1. Mercantile even earns its very own category at Netbanker: <netbanker.com/mercantile_bank_of_mi>. 

When CashEdge demo'd its new person-to-person (P2P) payment solution, POPmoney, at Finovate in September (video here), they said they expected four clients to be live by year-end. It looks like the first one is there, or almost there.

First Hawaiian Bank has a lengthy POPmoney FAQ posted on its website (see screenshot  below). Pertinent details on the new POPmoney service include (refer to full text below):

• Cost is $1 per transaction
• Users can send money via email address, mobile phone number, or directly into the recipient's bank account (if known)
• Online banking customers will find it in the Transfers section under a tab entitled Send Money
• P2P payments are limited to $5,000 per month subject to a daily maximum of $1,000 via email/mobile or $2,000 transferred directly to another bank account
• Payments can be scheduled up to one year in advance

For more on the P2P payments market, see our latest Online Banking Report, published 15 minutes ago: Making the Case for Person-to-Person Payments. 

First Hawaiian Bank's POPmoney FAQ (link; 8 Dec. 2009)

FAQ text:

What is "POPmoney"?
"POPmoney" is a feature of the FHB Online® banking service that lets you send money to someone electronically via their email address, mobile phone number, or directly to their bank account. Payments to someone's email address or mobile phone number are accompanied with a personalized message letting them know that the funds are available for electronic deposit to wherever they choose, while payments to someone's bank account are deposited automatically.

How much does POPmoney cost?
Sending money via POPmoney costs only $1.00 per transaction.

How do I sign up for POPmoney?
POPmoney is available to customers through the FHB Online service and can be accessed via the "Send Money" tab within the "Transfers" section. If you are not currently enrolled for FHB Online, visit www.fhb.com and click on the Online Banking "Enroll" button in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. If you are already enrolled for FHB Online, sign onto FHB Online, go to the Transfers section, and then click on the Send Money (Personal Only) link. Follow the three-step sign-up process:

• Step 1 POPmoney Agreement - Accept the FHB Online POPmoney amendment.
• Step 2 Contact Information - Your email address and mobile phone number are required as part of the sign-up process. You will need to verify the email address we have on file is correct. If it is incorrect, please close the window and click "Update Email Address" within the Customer Service tab to update your email address. After confirming your email address, return to the "Transfers - Send Money (Personal Only)" link and you will also be asked to provide a mobile phone number as part of the sign-up process.
• Step 3 Email/Mobile Phone Validation - We will send verification codes to your email address and mobile phone. Please check your email and your mobile phone for these codes and enter them in the boxes shown on-screen to complete the sign-up process.

Once you've completed the steps above, you will receive a confirmation message indicating that you have successfully signed up for POPmoney. Click "Continue to POPmoney" to start using the service.

Who can I send money to?
You can send money to someone just by knowing their mobile phone number or email address. The person receiving the notification will be able to deposit the money to any personal checking, savings, money market checking, or money market savings account at FHB or nearly any other U.S. bank. You can also send money directly to someone else's bank account if you have their bank routing and account number information.

How does the recipient receive and deposit funds?
If you are sending money to a mobile phone or email address, the recipient will receive a notification with a personalized message indicating that you have sent them a payment. The recipient has two ways of depositing the funds:

• If the recipient is a First Hawaiian Bank customer, they can deposit the funds into their account via the FHB Online service. Upon enrolling, or if the recipient is already enrolled for FHB Online, they can click on the "Send Money (Personal Only)" to access the POPmoney feature. Any payments that have been sent to them will be listed under the "Incoming Payments & Alerts" tab. They can then select an account to which to deposit the funds. They can also designate whether future payments should be automatically deposited to this account.
• If the recipient is a not a First Hawaiian Bank customer, or would like to deposit the funds into a non-FHB account, they can visit www.popmoney.com/FHB. They will be prompted to provide their mobile phone or email address along with their bank account information for the payment to be deposited.

Can I send money internationally?
No, you can only send money to individuals via their accounts within the U.S.

What is the maximum transaction amount I can make via POPmoney?
The maximum daily amount allowed for POPmoney transactions is the current available balance in the source account (plus any available credit in an associated Yes-Check^SM account if applicable) up to the daily limit mentioned below, whichever is less. This includes any single transaction or the total amount outstanding or "in process." For additional information, see below:

Sending Money to Bank Account

Maximum Amount

Daily

$2,000.00

Monthly

$5,000.00

Sending Money to Mobile or Email

Maximum Amount

Daily

$1,000.00

Monthly

$5,000.00

Can I set up recurring or future-dated transactions?
Yes, POPmoney transactions may be scheduled up to 365 days in advance of the date the transaction is to be made. Automatic recurring transactions may also be scheduled for substantially regular intervals (e.g., monthly) in the same amount between the same two accounts. You can schedule recurring transactions to be made weekly, every other week, twice a month, monthly, every four weeks, every other month, quarterly, twice a year, and annually.

How far in advance can I schedule a transaction?
You can schedule a POPmoney transaction up to one year in advance.

When are POPmoney transactions processed?
Transactions will be processed on the date you specify up to a year in advance. Transactions will take approximately three business days to process. Transactions scheduled to process on a weekend or holiday will be processed the previous Business Day.

What is the cut-off time to submit a transaction?
The cut-off time for submitting transactions is 7:00 p.m. HT each Business Day. Transactions submitted after 7:00 p.m. HT or on weekends or holidays will be processed the next Business Day. A Business Day is every calendar day except for Saturdays, Sundays, and bank holidays.

What is the cut-off time to change or delete upcoming transactions?
The cut-off time to change or delete an upcoming transaction is 7:00 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time the previous Business Day prior to the send date.

When does the transaction get debited from my account?
The transaction debit request is initiated on the "send date" but will not post against your account for one to two days.

What happens if I set up a transaction but do not have sufficient funds in my account on the "send date?"
If, on the "send date," there is insufficient balance in your account to make a transaction you authorized, we will delay the transaction and try again on the next Business Day. If there is still insufficient balance to make the transaction, we may either refuse to pay the item, or we may make the transaction and overdraw your account. In either event, you will be responsible for any non-sufficient funds ("NSF") or overdraft charges that may result.

How many people can I add to my list of contacts?
You may add up to a total of 50 contacts.

I used to send money to third parties via the External Transfers function. What will happen to this information?
As part of introducing POPmoney, we have migrated your third-party information and activity from External Transfers to POPmoney. This includes contacts or accounts, as well as upcoming and previous transactions. Categories for previous transactions will not be migrated and will need to be re-defined.

How do I disable POPmoney?
You may disable POPmoney by calling us at 643-4343 (1-888-643-4343 from the Continental U.S., Guam, and CNMI). Please note that disabling POPmoney will also disable your access to External Transfers.