'Mr Twitter' behind iPhone credit card system
By UK CreditCards.com
Published: 22 October 2009
|
|
|
Tweet |
 Email story
|
|
The founder of social networking site Twitter is thought to be behind an innovative iPhone credit card system currently on trial in the US.
Technology news source Engadget said that the Square iPhone Payment System, which allows credit card transactions to be made through the Apple device, was Jack Dorsey's secret "Squirrel" project that has been the subject of industry rumours over recent months.
The Twitter founder's role was discovered after an Engadget source noticed the name of a website, Squareup.com, in a picture of the Square system. This domain was registered with a contact email address from another site, paybysquirrel.com.
"The question is whether or not Dorsey and company can turn this fairly obscure piece of tech into the kind of firestorm which Twitter has become," Engadget added.
Square works through an iPhone app and a dongle device, which plugs into the phone's headphone jack. Cards are swiped through the dongle and payment details are then entered on the phone itself.
Customers also trace their signatures on to the dongle to confirm the transaction.
Comments or Questions
Story Archive
Recent stories - Emerging payment systems: Prepaid, debit, gift cards:
5 user-friendly prepaid cards
Prepaid cards let you use plastic without the risk of debt and interest charges. Here are five prepaid cards with user-friendly terms and manageable fees ...See Prepaid
Britons have an appetite for debit
Brits are putting a lot of money on their debit cards, new research from Visa Europe has found. They are also doing a lot more shopping online ...See Debit cards
6 prepaid credit card fees to watch out for
If you're thinking about signing up for a prepaid card, watch out for excessive fees. Here are six of the most common fees to look out for when comparing prepaid cards ...See Prepaid card fees
Secure SSL Technology