Carol Realini’s thoughts on the Obopay iPhone app launch

December 11th, 2009

1) Why did Obopay choose to launch an iPhone application?

Obopay loves smart phones – since they are such great platforms to deliver a rich, colorful experience. We have been a long time supporter of BlackBerry, and now with this release we add a state-of-the-art iPhone application.  Piper Jaffray reports that  iPhone remains popular among U.S. teenagers (16% plan to buy).  ChangeWave Research reports 30% of adults plan to buy an iPhone, (37% plan to buy a BlackBerry). Clearly this demonstrates the trend that US consumers of all ages are flocking to smart phones.

2) How is this different from mobile payments apps available today?

The iPhone is a superior platform in many ways – it allows us to give our users an experience that is a truly next generation.  Combine that with the fact that the Obopay iPhone app makes use of advanced platform features such as push notifications and offers family-centric money management features that make it a cut above anything else on the market today.

3) Who is most likely to use the Obopay iPhone application and why?

Family money management is one of the killer use cases that we pushed during the conceptualization process of our iPhone application and it shows.  Parents can monitor children’s spending and make real-time transfers to/from family accounts while children can send requests for emergency money to their parents which can be acted upon in seconds.  We are pioneering a new, more social way of thinking about money and the iPhone is a huge step towards this goal.

3a) Can I get this application from my bank?

Obopay iPhone works with any bank in the US. You can connect your cards and accounts to Obopay. In addition, we have a program so that your bank can brand and offer Obopay directly to you. Banks that are interested should contact us at banks@obopay.com.

4) How will this app empower the merchant community?

The Obopay iPhone app keeps the small merchant in mind and it offers a number of compelling features such as push requests, advanced history display and tracking that empowers small merchants.

5) Are you working on an app for the Android phone?

Android is an exciting up-and-coming platform that Obopay is keeping a very close eye on.  Obviously we recognize the potential behind Android, but are not announcing anything today.