PayPal To Turn Phones Into Credit Cards At Home Depot
SAN JOSE (KCBS) – It may come as no surprise that Bay Area home improvement stores are the first to roll out one of the first mobile payment systems in the U.S. San Jose-based PayPal is teaming up with Home Depot to allow customers to pay for purchases using their cell phones.
Home Depot stores in the Bay Area have launched an in-store checkout system where customers can pay using only their cell phones and a PayPal account, no cash, debit or credit cards necessary.
San Jose Home Depot shopper Angelina Barron said she would love to be able to leave her wallet at home.
"Right now I don't have my purse, and I think it would just be easier to be able to whip out my phone because everyone always has their phone in their hands," said Barron. "It would just be quick and easy. I think it would just be a good idea."
Actually, customers don't even have to be carrying their phones, they can simply enter their cell number and a security code to buy items. But that made some customers like Margie Taber leery of quick-and-easy payments.
KCBS' Matt Bigler Reports:
Customers don't even have to be carrying their phones; they can simply enter their cell number and a security code to buy items. But that made some customers like Margie Taber leery of quick-and-easy payments.
"My only thing is, is it going to be secured, meaning nobody's going to hack into my phone or my account," said Taber.
PayPal spokesperson Amanda Pires said that they do not share your financial information with any of their retail partners.
"Just like how consumers trust PayPal online to protect the information, we're doing that on mobile devices as well, or when you're in store," said Pires.
Home Depot plans to roll out the mobile payment system to more than 2,000 stores next month.
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