App developers prefer a smooth user experience over cost for mobile commerce

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The addition of m-commerce capabilities in apps has enabled developers to further monetize their products beyond simply getting users to buy the app.

However, the decision to include a mobile payment option also comes with the need to ensure that the service is frictionless, adding to the user experience rather than taking away from it, according to VisionMobile’s The Evolving State of Mobile Commerce.

The study, which surveyed 1,986 developers who use an m-commerce platform in their app, found that app-store billing is by far the most popular form of mobile payments offerings, used by around 53% of respondents. Meanwhile, operator — or carrier — billing is most common in emerging markets where credit cards are not commonly found. In the Middle East and Africa, this method was used by 33% of developers.

In general, developers are looking for three primary outcomes when deciding on the type of payment method they build into their apps:

Smooth user-experience. Overall, the most important factor in the decision to add a specific payment process over another is how it affects the end-user experience. This was the resounding consensus among developers who took part in the survey, with 66% marking smooth integration as most important, above cost (53%).
Enable and prove security. When choosing a payment method, developers need to be able to ensure and provide proof that that the payment process is being handled by a trusted third party. This is because security vulnerabilities have the potential to lead to negative consumer attitudes, which can negatively impact future user engagement.
International expansion capabilities. Apps are inherently international, with both iOS and Android presenting near-global reach. The potential for apps to expand beyond a specific region means that developers need to allow for this, particularly within the payments process.

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