The Wattstation Connect mobile app lets users find the nearest GE Wattstation EV station, get pricing details and availability. Additionally, PayPal is the exclusive payment provider for GE Wattstation Connect.

“This integration with GE’s Wattstation Connect mobile app represents PayPal’s continued efforts to make payments easy and convenient anytime, anywhere our customers want them to be,” said Scott Dunlap, vice president of emerging opportunities at PayPal.

“This app brings us one step closer to changing the way people pay — making commerce simpler and safer for consumers and businesses,” he said.

Payments partnership
Via the GE and PayPal partnership, electric vehicle drivers can pay to charge their cars using their smartphone device.

Using the app, consumers can find the nearest GE WattStation EV station available for charging, get pricing details and then pay with their PayPal account.

Additionally, if consumers find a charging station on their own, they can also use the app to scan a QR code on the WattStation to get the pricing and pay using the PayPal functionality.

Future of mobile
By integrating PayPal, GE is cementing its position in mobile commerce.

A recent Carlisle & Gallagher Consulting Group study found that of the consumers who are interested in mobile wallets, more would consider using PayPal as their primary provider over Google or Apple (see story).

In addition, in a sign that alternative payment options play an important role in mobile commerce, new data from ShopVisible last month revealed that PayPal was used by consumers in 67 percent of mobile transactions.

ShopVisible reviewed 23,000 Web and mobile transactions over a 60-day span and found that only 33 percent of consumers chose to pay by credit card in thousands of mobile transactions (see story).

“Mobile is a focal point of PayPal’s business,” Mr. Dunlap said.

“In fact we recently announced our intention to craft product designs with a mobile first mentality, forcing us to eliminate features that introduce unneeded complexity,” he said.

“Partnering with GE on this app is another step in that direction.”

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York