Do away with the hassle of carrying cash with these mobile payment apps
The days are long gone when you have to carry the hard cash for payment purposes. Life became a bit easier with the inclusion of debit and credit cards. With these cards, you can make payments on the go.
You are not required to have an account in every city you visit. Just swipe the card in the machine, and the cash will flow into your hands. But sometimes, even the card payment machines are hard to come by.
To cater to such concerns, there came the comfort of making peer-to-peer payments through the mobile phone itself, and we all know how extensively the mobile phones are used nowadays.
From booking a cab to ordering food, you can do everything through your mobile. So, why not payments? With the usage of mobile phones skyrocketing, there is a tremendous increase in mobile payments too.
According to a research report by Statista, the mobile payment revenue recorded in 2015 was $450 billion and is expected to cross $1 trillion by the year 2019. Below is a graph that shows global mobile payment revenue from 2015 to 2019.
These statistics highlight the significant jump in mobile payments over the past few years.
Today, we will be telling you about the best mobile payment apps that you should try. Many of these apps are available both on iOS and Android as well, and due to this fact, the mobile app payment is fast becoming the preferred choice for many of us.
Take a look at the top ten apps that have dominated the first half of this year and can help you to make mobile payments:
You can term it as the mother of all mobile payment apps, due to its existence, which dates back to 1998. PayPal made its mark by entering into a payment partnership with eBay, the multinational e-commerce giant. After that, the company swiftly succeeded in being the number one choice for all the online payment services.
The best thing about PayPal is, you can send or transfer the money to any of your friends or family members; still, the company doesn’t charge any fee for that. But it positively charges extra fees to send from a credit card or convert currencies.
Notable features of the PayPal mobile payment app:
Download this best mobile payment app for iOS and Android
Many of you will be surprised to know that the second-best app according to me is originally owned by PayPal. The mobile service is apt for people who are quite active on smartphones and prefer to transfer money from the same.
Due to it, the payment app service is popular with young people, and it also ends the mess of splitting bills with friends.
Venmo lets you split even the smallest bill amount, from sharing the room rent to sharing the grocery bill, Venmo can do it all. Apart from this, you can also send money using your linked debit card bank account.
Notable features of the Venmo mobile payment app:
Download this best payment app for iOS and Android
Interestingly, the company kicked off its venture into the domain by converting the iPhone or iPad into a card reader for the small business houses. But it soon evolved and offered the option of transferring money to family and friends.
For unhindered services, the user of this payment app service can have their own “$Cashtag,” and through this, the other person can send the money instantaneously.
Square cash is available for both personal and business use. For better convenience, you need to have two separate accounts for both needs. The service is available in the form of an app on iOS and Android as well. So, now you can carry the convenient payment app service in your pocket itself.
Notable features of Square Cash mobile payment app:
Download this popular payment app for iOS and Android
Google has long been trying to get into payment services, and for it, the tech giant has brought out a lot of changes, like merging two applications to create its payment app, and finally, the current version seems to fulfill all the demands of being a fast and secure option.
The feature that makes it different from all the other such services is that the recipient doesn’t need the app to get the money in their account, and this option makes the app more serviceable.
The fast and simple way of transferring money through Google Pay can be managed on the web and in the app as well. It gives you the leverage to check out and keep the information safe and secure at the same time.
Also, you don’t have to enter the card's detailed information on many of the apps with Google Wallet. Connect the app with it and make the payment.
With some added benefits, the Google Wallet protects your data with multiple layers of security. Google employs one of the world’s most advanced security systems to keep the account safe.
Notable features of Google Pay, one of the best mobile payment apps:
Download this mobile payment app for iOS and Android
Zelle service is another option to transfer the money on the go. To do this, you need to have an account in any of the participating banks like Chase, Bank of America, Citi, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo or Capital One. Zelle offers same-day transfers to anyone else with an account at a participating bank.
To use its services, you don’t need to download the app. Though the app is available on the app stores, as Zelle only accepts one bank account to connect, so make sure to add the primary account.
To install the app, you will be required to enter your email or mobile number for authentication purposes. After that, input the mobile number or the email address of the person to whom you want to transfer the money.
Notable features of Zelle, one of the best apps that pay:
Download this app to send money for Android and iOS
LevelUp is a mobile payment app service for business purposes based on QR codes. TO get started, attach your credit or debit card to the LevelUp code. After that, you need to get your code scanned by the other person, and the money will be transferred instantaneously.
To entice people to use this platform more, the company offers loyalty and rewards programs that add up to your credit points, which can be availed later. It also provides detailed analytics to business houses that can help them tailor-made discount offers.
The company also has a white label LevelUp app that integrates payment capabilities into the mobile app. Unlike the branded LevelUp app, the white label LevelUp app employs NFC and Beacons to accept payments.
Notable features of the Levelup mobile payment app:
Download this best app to transfer money for iOS and Android
Facebook is already a hit among every age group, and furthermore, it aims to get into every tech domain possible. So, to stay at the front, Facebook has made its presence made in the mobile payment app services by integrating the payment services into the Facebook Manager. However, the service is not extensively used due to the existence of other popular services.
In the US, you need to be 18 years and above to use facebook’s service of transferring money. And if you are eligible to vote, add your Visa or Mastercard debit card to your Facebook account to get going. To secure your payment account, you can even add a pin for authentication purposes.
The best thing about it is that it doesn’t levy any charges on the transactions. When you send the money, the recipient can see your name and profile photo, apart from receiving the money.
Notable features of Facebook Messenger, one of the best mobile payment apps:
Download this best mobile payment app for iOS and Android
One of those online payment apps worth using, the Samsung Pay app works on select Galaxy smartphones. The app supports multiple credit or debit cards with the option of a Paytm wallet as well for Indian users.
The best part about the Samsung pay app is that it is accepted at various places so you never face the trouble of payments anywhere. With advanced protective features and local deals, the app is great to use. On top of that, you can buy exclusive gift cards and share them with your friends and family.
Notable features of Samsung Pay, one of the best mobile payment apps for Android:
Download this mobile payment app for Android
Another of those best mobile payment apps, the Xoom app is a whole lot more than just a payment app. Users can make payments or pay their bills straight from their phones while sitting anywhere around the world. In case you want to send money to someone around the world, you can easily send it directly to your bank account or cash pick-up locations around the world.
Notable features of Xoom Money Transfer, one of the best mobile payment apps:
Download this mobile payment app for iOS and Android
One of the many top mobile payment apps for iPhone and Android, the WeChat app offers chat and other features along with a world-class payment option. The users can chat and call their friends while being able to send money as well. Although payment services are available in selected regions only, the app offers all the features of a leading mobile payments app.
Notable features of WeChat, one of the best payment apps for Android and iOS:
Download this mobile payment app for iOS and Android
So, these are the best mobile payment apps that can come in handy while making mobile payments or money transfers. If you are still not familiar with any of these apps, we firmly suggest you start learning the basics of these apps because the concept of hard cash is going to vanish soon.
If you like this listicle writeup or have any suggestions for us, let us know in the comments below or read more of our reviews about apps belonging to different categories to learn how of some of the leading apps in the industry.
Vikram is an experienced wunderkind, who embraced technology at a very early age, and today he is at the helm of it. Mobile apps are something that excites him the most, and now he is up to give this vertical the best shot. He routinely catches up with the new apps and comes up with the top apps that can excite you to the core.
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