The introduction of the mobile phone as a device for retail payments is an important frontier for both telecommunications and payments. The widespread use of mobile phones in the United States today signifies that a large portion of the public connects via these small computers that they carry. These devices can be outfitted with applications and new functionality that could improve the way that people conduct a variety of activities in their lives. One of the most interesting new possibilities is the ability to use a mobile phone as a payment device at a retail point of sale location.