This article was published on January 15, 2013

Ever considered your Android smartphone camera as a credit card reader? Jumio does.


Ever considered your Android smartphone camera as a credit card reader? Jumio does.

Jumio, a digital payments and ID certification solutions provider backed by the likes of Citi Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, is today releasing Netswipe Mobile for Android.

In case you’re not familiar with the startup’s Netswipe offering: it essentially turns a customer’s smartphone camera into a secure, real-time credit card reader, allowing businesses to more quickly accept mobile payments (see here for a Travelocity use case).

The solution was only available for iOS devices to date, and apps for BlackBerry and Windows Phone are said to be in the works.

In May 2012, Jumio released a Netswipe Mobile SDK, which allows third-party developers to add credit card scanning capabilities to their iOS apps.

The company claims that, by adding this payment functionality to their app’s checkout process, its customers can see a lift in conversions of up to 20 percent, due to the speed Netswipe brings to users.

Daniel Mattes, CEO and founder of Jumio, says:

“Merchants devote so much money and resources to get consumers to the point of check out on mobile sites and apps, and can’t afford to see them abandon their shopping cart.

Now, Netswipe can be integrated into any Android app to increase conversions by shortening mobile checkout times as well as making payments more secure and convenient for users.”

Integration is free and can be customized to fit the design of the app, Jumio notes. Netswipe can be used with Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club, American Express and Discover cards.

Image credit: Thinkstock

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