An interesting finding from a US survey is that half of respondents said they were unlikely to shop in an outlet where in-store tracking technology blasts them with offers on their mobile devices, while the same survey also suggested the recent launch of NFC-based Apple Pay has clearly not made an impact on some consumers.

Over the past year or so, deploying technology such as Apple’s iBeacon to target shoppers has received a lot of interest in the mobile industry. But research by Wakefield Research on behalf of hardware vendor Verifone showed a lack enthusiasm among half of users to the idea of being targeted in this way.

Meanwhile, half of respondents were unfamiliar with technologies such as NFC, even though it is used by high-profile payment services in the US such as Apple Pay and Softcard (formerly Isis).

A similar knowledge level was expressed for mobile wallets.

The research was conducted online by Wakefield Research among 1,000 adults aged over 18. The survey took place between 16 December and 23 December 2014, and was intended to coincide with maximum consumer interest in retail payment options.

More than half of respondents – 53 percent – said it was important for more stores to install devices that enable consumers to pay with their smartphones.

The response was significantly higher among younger consumers aged 40 and below, where 64 percent of respondents agreed that a greater number of stores should install devices that allow shoppers to use smartphones to pay.

Additionally, 84 percent of respondents said they would use their smartphones to pay for small and medium purchases, such as a coffee or pair of jeans.