Amazon revolutionized online shopping, partly through creating an environment where customers felt comfortable storing credit card information. In large part due to this comfort, many consumers can now order items on the site with one click, whether on a smartphone, Kindle, tablet, or PC.

Cloud Payments

This ease of payment is becoming more commonplace than ever, as cloud providers find ways to get money from one bank account to another. This includes passing money from customers to retailers, as well as facilitating transfers between family members or friends. This change is driven partly by consumers’ interest in moving toward a cashless society, but the ability of options is also making it easier for people to skip the ATM machine forever.

Google’s recent introduction of easy payments to its interface has shown that this easy money transfer is the future. Using Google Wallet, Gmail users can now attach payments to an email, even if the address on the receiving end isn’t Gmail. Users with Google Wallet accounts can send money from those accounts for free. For those who choose to send payments from a linked credit or debit card using the service, there will be a 2.9 percent fee.

Amazon Flexible Payments Service

Not one to be left behind, Amazon is moving its “one-click payment” functionality to other sites. Businesses of all sizes can use Amazon Flexible Payments Service (Amazon FPS) to pay for purchases across the internet using the same wallet they’d use to purchase on Amazon. This integration is completed at the site developer level, so the consumer only has to look for the Amazon symbol when paying.

Whether someone is trying to pay for a purchase at a flea market or reimburse a family member for a purchase, moving money electronically is essential. As solutions become more mainstream, society will continue its move away from cash and personal checks.