Have you ever needed to send money to someone quickly, and couldnt run into your bank for a swift payment? Here’s what Obopay offer as service.

All you need is a mobile phone, and it only takes a few minutes to get started.

1. Sign up for Obopay
2. Link your bank account or credit card
3. Send money in three easy ways:
   • Text message
   • Obopay phone application
   • Your phone’s web browser

Sign up

> Learn how Obopay works

Did Someone Send You Money?

If someone used Obopay to send you money, you can collect it right away, and you don’t even need to sign up for an Obopay account.

> Pick up money

Add Obopay to your site.

Send and receive money from friends and customers by adding Obopay to your favorite site, including MySpace, facebook, eBay, and more.

> Add the Obopay widget

This seems so simple has anyone had any experience with it?

What features would you like your online payment company or bank to offer? Write a comment and tell us.

yours in money,

Moneypenny

Our Partners Include:

1. ‘GPAY’ Serial No.: 364571
2. Filed: February 28, 2006
3. Publication Number: 20070203836

Back in February there was a patent application filed by Google and it has just been published. The application is for a SMS Payment System on a mobile platform. Speculation today is that a “GPAY” SMS mobile payments service might be included with a new ‘Gphone’ product which is rumored to be in shopper’s hands by Christmas.

I’ve included here some images from the patent application.

This image shows that in addition to using GPAY at retail merchants, its also a secure method to purchase from vending machines and validating large payment amounts.

Just like the Google Checkout system online, the application discusses offering convenient ‘mobile’ transaction reporting,

“Tracking and reporting of transactions may also occur, so that users can more easily summarize activity in their financial accounts without extensive manual bookkeeping operations.”

If Google is rolling out a new mobile phone product soon, it makes good sense to have a ‘killer app’ to accompany the product. That is how Patrick Altoft feels over at the The SEOptimise blog, which was the first yesterday to report on the new patent. Many thanks for that good news.

The patent also addresses smaller ‘micro’ payments without the big fees associates with using a credit card,

“Users may make micropayments without the overhead of other payment systems.”

Obopay is also making a play to conquer mobile online payments, without the big fees. Their new widget allows cell phones to make payments directly to any web page.

Now you can send and receive money almost instantaneously using your cell phone. No bank account or credit card needed, but if you have them, you can also add those to your Obopay account. This paragraph from their web says it all,

“…the only service that lets you instantly get, send and spend money anywhere, anytime with anyone. Plus, it comes with the added convenience of an Obopay Prepaid MasterCard®. Think about that for a minute. There are over 200 million cell phone users in the U.S. and more than 24 million MasterCard® acceptance locations worldwide including merchants and ATMs.” *obopay.com

Portfolio.com is saying that just a few weeks from now any user can add Obopay to their LinkedIn, MySpace or even Facebook account. The goal, according to the company, is “to turn individuals into merchants.” *portfolio.com

Obopay’s service is simple to use. Anyone with a cell phone can send up to $1000 per week to anyone else with a cell phone. This is an amazing financial service because you don’t need a bank account to participate. The company even plans to raise that maximum $1000 current limit.

Perhaps most exciting ‘add-on’ feature for Obopay’s service will be their new widget. They will, very soon (Aug.30), be offering an “Obopay Widget,” which will connect your cell phone’s money sending capability directly to Internet. In other words, send someone money from your phone and it arrives on their web page, via the new widget. I can’t wait for that one! The service is due out the end of August to early September. Ramy Mora, Obopay’s vice president for marketing had this to say,

“The Obopay Widget is a ubiquitous, scalable way to accept money for anything, from anyone, at any time,” Mora said, adding that the goal of the widget is “to turn individuals into merchants.” *portfolio.com

You won’t have to look far for this new widget. When its available I’ll have one on my web. Say goodbye to those big banks, there are great new financial technologies and payment systems emerging all the time, Obopay is an excellent example. Special thanks to Sam Gustin at Portfolio.com for the great information.