Back in July, we were at the event where PayPal announced its new flexible payments API. There, they showed off this pretty neat video of their vision of a PayPal Payments-enabled future. So this video is a few weeks old, but it’s making the rounds on Twitter again today, and it’s pretty cool, so we figured we’d post it.
Basically, this is PayPal’s vision for the future of payments. It reminds quite a bit of Mastercard’s “Priceless” commercials, but with a cool tech angle.
I want to be able to do everything this video is promising. Will that happen by the time the platform opens up on November 3rd? Nope. Will it happen anytime soon? Nope. But hopefully visions like this will inspire people to do cool things.
Don’t they have something like this enabled with their cellphones in Japan?
This is awesome.
Looking forward to November and the future !
I’m still confused – I thought Paypal’s platform was open to developers. I integrate with it on SocialToo.com via an API. Guess I need to read their docs to understand what they mean.
It is NOT. It’s their marketing BS, don’t rush reading the docs, man, there’s nothing new there.
Oh! No! That isn’t entirely accurate! It has been ‘opened’ but only for the bunch of their cronies (MS and the like).
Their API has been open for some time, and all the things seen in that video is possible to build right now with their existing API (for elite programmers of course).
They are introducing a very important “send money” API which will give developers an easier way to integrate payments in application outside of standard website payments.
Example:
Your in a restaurant and the waiter present you with an electronic tablet with the price of your meal. You simply press your thumb on a biometric fingerprint reader, the transaction and print CRC hits a application server, verifies, send API call to PayPal, PayPal approves, then tablet shows a successful payment.
Basically the Minority Report style of payments will be easily possible with this new PayPal API, and the great thing is that developers can take the construction of this future in our hands and not wait for Visa. MC, or Amex to build it.
PayPal API has always allowed innovation, trust me on this one
I’m more interested in their pricing structure than their API. Amazon FPS is doing a great job already.
Video is great, but it has little to do with paypal. – it’s all about the developers.
PayPal’s isn’t open yet, and it’s only going to focus on whole-dollar transactions because the percent that they have to take won’t justify powering microtransactions or virtual currency. Unlike Orca (http://www.orcaone.com), PayPal is trying to create a platform that only extends a broken system, rather than something that was designed for social media and the next generation of social actions.
You should have said: …is a PARASITE on top of the already broken system, that would be more accurate.
Since when is bread in the same aisle as milk?!? Are they hoping that I wouldn’t notice because i would be too distracted by the hot blond chick? I just hope that their API isn’t constructed in the same haphazard way that this video was thought through.
Since when do you comment on TC?
lets have a fight.
This is amazing!!! I can’t wait… this looks absolutely amazing. I have tons of awesome ideas.
What does that refrigerator do? It seems I can buy items I’ve run out of. Cool… but how will my purchases make it to my fridge? I guess I’ll still have to crush bread with milk the old fashioned way.
boring
Wait…So does this mean I’ll be able to get a girlfriend in November? SWEET! Thanks Paypal for helping us geeks get laid.
This video is so cliche. The acting, ideas, and plot.
Does this mean that my anti-breadcrushing milk container system will finally pay off?
You can buy it now, with a debit card!
I don’t understand…
Did that guy get dumped because he wanted to watch an action/scary movie????
And then proceeded to hit on another chick a few hours later.
Yeah, I thought that was kind of funny as well! That’s love at it’s best…
Reminds me more of the Microsoft “We see a…” campaigns…that would be a cool trick with the beer on the table, I might tackle that one.
Meh, I like Microsoft’s version better http://www.yout...h?v=3KnIJoHibiQ
Buying stuff makes me happy.
“Moms will still make them best”. Sexists I say!
Anybody have an update on pay-by-touch technology? I know the company by the same name folded awhile back amidst controversy surrounding it’s shady founder. Using your fingerprint to pay seemed like it held the promise of reducing transaction fees by a percentage point or two. Is Paypal actually exploring this?
That dude get’s over relationships FAST! In all seriousness, we are looking forward to the expanded APIs to do some cool stuff with Paypal this fall.
The problem with Paypal is that it’s inherently untrustworthy. If you have a dispute with the other party, it’s too-bad-for-you. Unlike your credit card company, you cannot just call them and dispute the charges.
There’s more than enough concern about Paypal. Check out http://www.paypalsucks.com/ – if that doesn’t scare you, then drink more koolade!
PayPal – changing the way fraud happens.
I can see a lot of security issues that will crop up (as they always do) with new ways to pay.
Also, here is a truism : the easier it is to buy something, the easier it is for people to get into debt.
How could anyone think this is interesting? Paypal’s forays into anything other than basic web payments is a total waste of energy.
Talk about impulse buying, that lady in the end forked out $1400 for a fridge/freezer just because it looked good in a 30 second commercial.
She’s gonna freak out when it don’t fit in her kitchen!
Honestly if your gonna make videos like this, try to base it on some realistic parameters!
Great vision, and great overestimation of the ease of use in light of the security challenges when creating such functionality. Yeah, a billboard on the street will be able to scan your fingerprint, every table in the restaurant will know it’s really you . . . oh, wait, it’s the glass that already has your fingerprints all over it (just hope it’s been washed, ’cause it will charge the PayPal account of the previous beer drinker).
At least they have a vision. I get the feeling there will be a lot of chaos beneath at the Software, and especially at the MQ / Infrastructure level. Never mind governance…
Run away from Paypal until it becomes a true financial institution. Because your money is their money.
yes, true financial institutions are looking so hot right now…hmm
@Jerome: Paypal is already a true financial institution: they have a bank license in Luxembourg.
Still for any online merchant:
- No set up fees
- No monthly fee
- Multiple currency
- Marginally higher commission at lower volumes.
We use it and are satisfied.
attractive brunette leaves him, attractive blonde comes over and flirts – I want to live there – rest of the video was pretty boring
also, he didn’t ask her if she wanted beer!
Hi all –
C-Secure Systems (www.csecure.com) could enable this today. Thanks for helping us help others see into a more convenient, secure and “world is flat” future! whoo hoo!!! -Lori
that would be @lorileavitevans (with an “s”)
see you on twitter!
Bread: $1.76
Milk: $3.49
Relationship-ending movie tickets: $24.00
Two beers: $9.00
Same-day rebound: priceless
I like very much their idea, I think its a great vision for future, not very easy to implement it but for sure will be a success. Good luck for them!