Placecast, Billeo releases offer mobile, online payment options

First up Placecast's ShopAlerts Wallet - the platform allows shoppers to receive and redeem offers via mobile as well as make in-store payments. For payments, the consumer simply 'waves' their phone or card before the merchants POS system; merchants simply plug the wallet API into their existing processor and it is ready to go.

Merchants can also launch a branded payment app or add more bells and whistles to an existing merchant app.

"The future of commerce is being dramatically transformed by smartphones, putting consumers in control," said Placecast CEO Alistair Goodman. "Consumers like convenience, to save money and to be rewarded for their business. Leveraging the industry's most robust mobile offers platform, the ShopAlerts Wallet delivers on this promise today. Over the last three years major brands, mobile operators and payments companies have seen incredible results from our location-based offers programs. We expect to see even more exciting avenues for monetization emerge as more people open up their mobile wallet."

Offers received through the ShopAlerts Wallet can also be shared through consumers' social networks; offers can be pushed via mobile or SMS.

And from Billeo, ZipThru Pay offers financial brands the ability to offer online Pay Now Buttons so that consumers can pay bills online through a specific card.

"47 million U.S. consumers go directly to a biller to pay a bill, because they aren't satisfied with the payment options their bank or credit union provides," said Murali Subbarao,founder and CEO of Billeo, Inc. "ZipThru Pay gives financial institutions the ability to reengage with these consumers, and create a bill payment service that makes the institution the consumer's single point of contact for all bill payments."

Meanwhile their ZipThru Buy enables merchants to feature products on their website or app and then place Buy Now buttons beside those items - items can be places from within a story, from a shopping engine or even through social sharing sites like Pinterest.

Tags: Billeo, m:commerce trends, mobile commerce, mobile marketing, mobile payments, Placecast