iPod-based payments

Apple's iPod has been used for music, audio, and now video playback, but in the future it could become a platform for variety of other applications, including as secure storage for receipts, plane ticket information, and more. Ingenico's research teams have developed the world's first terminal accepting a payment on an iPod. Utilizing its i5100 technology, the iPod-compatible payment gateway was demonstrated at the Cartes 2005 exhibition held November 15-17, 2005. The system allows users to make payments, offer receipt information, and transmit other information stored on the iPod via an FM transmitter. While the concept was workable, the company said that the technology may not become mainstream: "While this demonstration may not be a sign of what the future holds, it certainly proves Ingenico's ability to innovate for the benefit of its current and future customers."

Ingenico’s integrates with Atlantic Radio System’s FM data extraction module, allowing it to communicate with the iPod via the FM band while enabling users to pay for goods using their iPod or other compatible MP3 player.

At Cartes 2005, Ingenico demonstrated how travellers could book plane tickets and receive them via MP3 format by e-mail. "He or she would then just need to store the MP3 receipt on an iPod before going to the airport. When preparing to board, the traveller would simply play the MP3 ticket on the iPod to send all ticket information securely and in realtime to the boarding gate." The system demontrated transmission of information using Griffin's iTrip RM trasmitter.

The company said that ticket information might include passport, itinerary and price data as well as pre-encoded biometric features for passenger verification at the gate. The same intuitive, user friendly payment system can also be used for gift vouchers, tickets and virtually all other forms of prepaid transaction.

by MacNN Staff