Based on brand value, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon – or FAMGA for short – are among the most valuable companies in the world. Each is a leading provider of their respective core offerings, yet these days all of them are laser-focused on expanding their presence in the digital payments business.
It makes sense that they all want to conquer this category. While the pandemic brought down many previously booming industries, fintech as a whole – and digital payments in particular – have flourished. With ‘eCommerce of everything,’ consumer sentiment that digital payment methods are indeed safe also has grown exponentially.
As a result, startups, newly minted unicorns, and FAMGA all are fighting for a piece of the payment industry pie. FAMGA in particular is focused on developing new products, collaborating with other companies in the payments industry ecosystem, and firming up relationships with partners like Panduit, who helps to provide the robust IT infrastructure that’s so critical to continued success. Following are a few highlights of what the ‘Big Five’ have been up to:
Facebook
Facebook Pay makes making payments easier on Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. With Facebook Pay, users can pay for fundraisers, donations, in-game purchases, and event tickets, as well as pay friends on Messenger.
Facebook Pay also is compatible with most debit cards, credit cards, and other payment platforms, such as PayPal and Stripe. According to a report from CB Insights, Facebook was granted a patent for “processing payment transactions using acritical intelligence messaging services,” which includes a bot that can understand and reply to the requests of users.
Apple
Apple Pay is a contactless payment technology for Apple devices, which was designed to migrate consumers from physical wallets to payment via iPhone or the Apple Watch. The mobile payment app also lets consumers maintain funds and make person-to-person payments using the Apple Cash feature.
In August 2019, Apple partnered with Goldman Sachs to release the Apple Card, a credit card that’s linked to Apple Pay.
Microsoft
Microsoft Pay (previously Microsoft Wallet) is a mobile payment and digital wallet service that lets consumers make digital payments and store loyalty cards on devices. Microsoft recently expanded its relationship with Paysafe, to enable the purchase of digital products and services through Microsoft Store and Xbox.com in 22 European countries.
Google
Google Pay is a digital wallet platform and online payment system developed by Google to power in-app, online, and in-person contactless purchases on mobile devices, and make payments with Android phones, tablets, or watches. The service also supports coupons, boarding passes, student ID cards, event tickets, movie tickets, public transportation tickets, store cards, and loyalty cards.
Google redesigned the Google Pay app in November 2020 to compete with other digital wallet providers who have been focused on expanding both users and functionality. Following the redesign, Google Pay became the number one app on the Google Play app store.
Amazon
Amazon Pay enables consumers to use the payment methods already associated with their Amazon account to make digital payments for goods, services, and donations on third-party websites, in apps, and with the Alexa digital assistant. Since 2019, Amazon has invested in growing Amazon Pay’s marketplace, including forming a partnership with acquiring bank Worldpay.
The company’s ‘Just Walk Out’ technology, which uses computer vision, sensor fusion, and advanced machine learning to enable a frictionless payments experience, has disrupted the payments landscape and could potentially further boost the usage of Amazon Pay. Currently, the technology is being used in Amazon Go stores operating in Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, and New York City.
Infrastructure to Bank On
Savvy leaders in FAMGA and other forward-thinking organizations look to partners such as Panduit for IT infrastructure solutions that provide the agility, flexibility, and security required to support the levels of data and activity modern services require while meeting changing customer expectations and regulator mandates.
Visit Panduit's website to learn more about how Panduit helps build physical infrastructures that drive best-in-class user experience while reducing downtime and costly service delays.
Download Panduit's e-book to find out the three key trends driving FS IT transformation.
* This article was originally posted on Panduit Connections Blog.
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