NEW YORK, Jan. 15, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Auriemma Consulting Group (ACG) announced Thursday the launch of Apple Pay Tracker, a longitudinal study that will monitor adoption and usage of the mobile wallet throughout 2015.
The study, comprising bimonthly surveys of 3,000 iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users over the course of the year, will illuminate Apple Pay's impact on payment providers, retailers, and other industry stakeholders.
"Apple Pay may change where people shop, how they pay, and the overall balance sheet of the payments system," said Marianne Berry, Managing Director of ACG's Payment Insights practice. "Issuers, merchants, networks, investors—all need to monitor these changes and have the flexibility to respond immediately to challenges."
Every eight weeks throughout 2015, subscribers will receive a report tracing current levels of Apple Pay activation and usage by a randomized sample of 500 iPhone 6 owners. In addition to measuring growth in the adoption curve, subscriber reports will include information gleaned from in-depth interviews with respondents detailing their reasons for adopting—or bypassing—the service. Each iteration of the research will examine a unique subset of users, ranging from early to mainstream adopters as the market matures. Interviews with respondents will explore:
- Motivations for usage
- Changes to behavior and purchasing habits
- Impacts on the customer relationship and brand attribution
- The role of social influences in adoption and usage
- Perceived security benefits and concerns
- User experience and likelihood to recommend Apple Pay to others
"There is intense interest in both the industry and mainstream media about Apple Pay," Berry said. "While transaction volumes and other aggregate data will be widely reported, these statistics won't explain the behavior driving the numbers.
"For example, how much growth in transaction volume is being driven by regular users and how much is attributable to growth in iPhone 6 sales? Are consumers changing their choice of retailers depending on the availability of Apple Pay? Do consumers make a conscious choice at point of sale among the cards provisioned in their Passbook, or does the default card become the most frequently used?"
Apple Pay Tracker joins a suite of market intelligence and syndicated research studies offered by ACG's Payment Insights practice. In addition to mobile payments, ACG conducts consumer research focused on credit, debit, and prepaid products.
"Whether or not Apple Pay reaches broad acceptance," Berry said, "millions of consumers will pay with their phones for the first time. This may be the long-awaited catalyst that ignites mobile payments."
About Auriemma Consulting Group
ACG is a boutique management consulting firm with specialized focus on the Payments and Lending space. We deliver actionable solutions and insights that add value to our clients' business activities across a broad set of industry topics and disciplines. Founded in 1984, ACG has grown from a one-man shop to a nearly 50-person firm with offices in New York and London. Visit ACG's website at http://www.acg.net. ; For more information about ACG's research, please contact Marianne Berry at 212-323-7000 or marianne.berry@acg.net.