Asymmetrical Relationships in Online Payment Solutions

• Dahlberg et al. (2008:165) in their paper proposed a definition for mobile payments as "payments for goods, services, and bills with a mobile device by taking advantage of wireless and other communication technologies", this in order to clarify the concept of mobile payments in particular, that had been subject to different interpretations. In this paper mobile payments are not specifically distinguished from other types of payments that occur online.After Dahlberg et als review (2008) several other literature reviews about mobile payments have been written. Such as Slade et al. (2013), de Albuquerque et al. (2014) and Dennehy and Sammon (2015) but the literature on relationships between payment provider and customer in an online context is quite scares.Asymmetrical relationships have been identified in the context of online payment solutions. Providers are turning more to service and debating how to offer better service and how to keep the customer as a customer for longer and how the customer can benefit more from the payment provider. The question of when a customer is converted into an actual customer arises. Some claiming it is when the transaction is completed, others that it is long after payment has been made. In light of this it is hard to see how the role online payment providers can expand but also how it will change when moving into a cashless society. The aim of this paper is to view online payment solutions in light of the relationships payment providers wish to establish and strengthen with their customer.Data has been generated through two focus groups, an online questionnaire and individual interviews. The in depth focus groups (2 with 5 participants in each) were analyzed and key areas were identified and a questionnaire was developed and distributed to customers of a provider of payment solutions (394 responses were gathered). After the questionnaire was analyzed and conclusions drawn, areas that needed to be further explored in-depth were identified. These areas were further explored through individual interviews. The methodology is characterized by using both qualitative and quantitative approaches to generate data.The results of the empirical material shows a desire, on the part of the provider of the payment solution to prolong the relationship but also that the customer has no wish to have a relationship with the provider or in some cases, doesn’t even view the provider as a partner/brand/etc. but merely as a means to and end or a facilitator of receiving a good or a service.This study is a comprehensive empirical framework on customer insight into online payments and issues connected to purchase as well as payment and potential relationships with payment solutions providers.ReferencesDahlberg, T., Mallat, N., Ondrus, J., Zmijewska, A., 2008b. Past, present and future of mobile payments research: {A} literature review. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications 7 (2), 165–181.de Albuquerque, J. P., Diniz, E. H., Cernev, A. K., 2014. Mobile payments: A scoping study of the literature and issues for future research. Information Development, 1–27.Dennehy, D., Sammon, D., 2015. Trends in mobile payments research: A literature review. Journal of Innovation Management 3 (1), 49–61.Slade, E. L., Williams, M. D., Dwivedi, Y. K., 2013. Mobile payment adoption: Classification and review of the extant literature. The Marketing Review 13 (2), 167–190

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv -- Företagsekonomi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business -- Business Administration (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Handel och IT

Bussiness and IT

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)