PayPal is launching a new mobile SDK today to try to make it easier for developers to accept payments in iOS apps. Now, customers will no longer be forced to leave the app in order to complete a transaction, and will also get more payment options, including taking a picture of their credit card using PayPal’s card.io technology.
James Barrese, CTO of PayPal, has admitted that the online payments giant has been left behind by its competitors. In a blog post he said the company’s tools “haven’t kept up with the bleeding edge of innovation” and asked that developers “take another look” at what PayPal can offer.
“Developers should have the freedom to focus on innovating for their customers, not spending time worrying about handling the complex task of payments,” he said. “But we listened when our developers said they wanted better capabilities from us, and now we’re doubling down on our developer programs to deliver the best tools in the industry.”
Barrese added that the mobile SDK will be expanded to other mobile platforms “soon”.
PayPal is also trying to improve in other areas though. The company has also announced JavaScript PayPal buttons, which will allow developers to integrate PayPal directly into their website or shopping cart simply by copying and pasting five lines of code.
Both of these features are a big step, which will help PayPal go head-to-head with online payments firms such as Dwolla and Stripe, as well as mobile payment companies such as Braintree.
In addition, PayPal is introducing new APIs so that US-based developers can use the service on REST, OAuth and JSON. “We are beta-launching these modernized versions of our most popular APIs –payments processing and immediate settlement – to make it easier and faster for developers to integrate PayPal into their experiences,” Barrese added.
PayPal appears to be back on an upward trajectory. Last month it announced plans to launch its PayPal Here solution in the UK this summer, following a reveal of what appears to be a completely new interface for consumers online.
Image Credit: YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/GettyImages
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