I am a conference junkie. So last weekend, I skipped the Penn Relays and instead attended Bar Camp News Innovation Philadelphia, an unconference where like-minded folks shared and learned in an open environment.
I got some practicable tips on SEO and SMO. I learned about some new tools, including Venmo, a social payments platform to safely and securely send money or make payments.
Unlike PayPal Mobile, you don’t need an iPhone or any other smartphone. And best of all, it’s free.
Jameel Farruk says their business model is built on trust and peer-to-peer relationships.
Venmo was founded by two friends who “hope to make life easier by allowing friends, families and businesses to exchange money and make cashless payments in person, using a cell phone.”
An individual effectively becomes an authorized credit card merchant.
Say you’re out to dinner. The bill arrives and your friend says he doesn’t have any cash and will reimburse you later. Now you can say, “No problem. Venmo the money.” Within minutes, you will have his share of the bill.
With an ordinary text message, you avoid the awkwardness of having to remind him that he owes you money.