Back in January, Apple CEO Tim Cook declared 2015 “the year of Apple Pay.” While I like his enthusiasm, I think we are a long way away from declaring any one technology — or tech company — the leader. The mobile payment industry has changed dramatically and permanently (largely as a result of Apple Pay), resulting in a wealth of new opportunities for mobile payments, and along with it, a whole bunch of confusion.

The problem (and reality) is that I think the average consumer feels lost when faced with the paradox of choice in mobile smartphones today; the operating systems, the manufacturer, the carrier, the apps and the payment solutions — these terms get tossed around, but the concepts rarely stick. In particular, the choice for mobile payments is a daunting one that not only affects a person’s choice of smartphones, but could impact his/her credit and financial standing if they choose the wrong one.

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