QR codes could help to overcome subscriber anonymity issue

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A company called Emida has announced that it has made a discovery that could be of interest to MVNOs and prepaid operators.

Among the concerns that have been raised in many markets is that when mobile numbers are given to clerks in order to top-up prepaid wireless phone service accounts, there is an anonymity issue that can act as a barrier, but Emida now hopes to use QR codes to overcome that problem.

This concern has slowed the spread of direct top-up (DTU) services which could be important to many markets.

These services represent one of the most cost effective methods of recharging prepaid cellular accounts, but their widespread use is being halted due to those concerns. Emida has now announced its QR codes based technology which is patent pending and has been designed to entirely remove that concern. In order to use the trademarked QR Code Top-up service, a smartphone user need only present his or her unique barcode to the clerk without having to reveal the actual mobile number.

According to Emida, there are a range of additional benefits to the use of these QR codes, as well.

qr codes thumbFor instance, by scanning quick response codes, it ensures that the clerk will be accurately adding the subscriber’s mobile number into the system. This significantly reduces the risk of data entry error as well as the amount of transaction time required from end to end. When all is said and done, it has the potential to offer consumers a much smoother and simpler overall experience.

According to Emida, the QR Code system for topping up wireless accounts can either be used as another component of the company’s overall DTU system, or it can also be seamlessly integrated into another provider’s DTU system.

Using this system of scanning QR codes also helps to reduce the reliance on the traditional form of topping up accounts, which is based on plastic cards and entering lengthy PINS. That system is costly and inefficient for operators and MVNOs and is unpleasant and inconvenient for consumers. With rapid barcode scans, the issue of theft, fraud, customer service support calls, loss, shipping and handling costs, and other problems that lead to the loss of 7 to 10 percent of revenues on card-based top-ups can be greatly reduced and even eliminated.

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