An in-depth report into online fraud and how companies are dealing with such activity also claims 78% of consumers will never make a booking on their phone.
The annual CybersourceUK Online Fraud Report, which surveys both companies and consumers, inevitably focused on website-based issues - a third of online merchants seeing an increase in business lost to fraud - but threw in the nugget of negativity on one of its last pages.
Responses to the question "Would you use your mobile to purchase online?" were as follows:
- 78% - No, never.
- 8% - Yes, would consider it.
- 4% - Yes, would definitely.
- 10% - Do not own a mobile.
The survey was carried out amongst 1,000 UK consumers in October 2009 and questioned those who buy both offline and online.
Cybersource says the result was similar for those who are primarily online buyers, with 76% saying they still wouldn't buy via a handset.
The report says:
"Mobile payments mean different things to different people; this undoubtedly contributes to a lack of consumer understanding of, and trust in, the concept."
The question for travel firms - such as Kayak, which is looking at introducing payments via handsets - is whether they can convince consumers to trust them to handle their mobile booking for them.
The survey notes:
"Mobile payments may be the next big thing, and fraudsters will certainly be looking to exploit this new channel, but until adoption increases it’s too early to tell exactly where the risk lies for merchants."
Mobile payments may be the next big thing, and
fraudsters will certainly be looking to exploit this new channel, but
until adoption increases it’s too early to tell exactly where the risk
lies for merchants.