Verizon to Offer American Express Digital Payment Platform

Verizon Wireless and American Express announced on Monday that they will team up to offer Serve, a digital payment and commerce platform from AMEX, on many Verizon mobile devices.

Under the partnership, Verizon customers can establish Serve accounts that will allow them to make payments and redeem offers for goods and services directly from their mobile phones and tablets, according to a press release. The Serve platform simplifies the online checkout process by authenticating a user's mobile number and then allowing purchases to be made on-screen.

Amex says that the Serve platform is supported by merchants in the United States that accept American Express. "Our collaboration with Verizon highlights the speed at which Serve is evolving to reach a wide audience," said Dan Schulman, group president, Enterprise Growth, American Express. "Verizon Wireless customers will soon be able to complement their busy lifestyle with a trusted payment platform that delivers a fast, flexible and secure way to manage their day-to-day mobile purchases, and together we're taking the necessary steps to make mobile commerce a reality."

The two companies are working with Payfone to support Serve checkout. Payfone's pre-authorization and intelligent routing features will help customers who use Serve make mobile payments simply and securely, according to the release.