TapBuy Brings 10-Second Online Shopping to the iPhone

November 1, 2011

Tools

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Kima Labs has launched TapBuy, a new way for iPhone users to shop online. Orders can be completed in seconds — with just a few taps.

TapBuy securely stores a shopper’s credit card and shipping preferences, so they only need to be entered once. Then, shoppers can place an order simply by touching the TapBuy button and confirming their PIN. The whole process takes 10 seconds or less, and works the same way whether a customer is buying a Groupon deal or a pair of Gap jeans. TapBuy uses cloud technology to securely forward the order and payment information to the merchant.

The first app to incorporate TapBuy technology is TapBuy Deals, a free app for shopping online sales and local daily deals from more than 100 brands.

TapBuy Deals is also the first app to save customers the hassle of searching for coupons or discount codes: TapBuy automatically tracks promotions and applies the best available coupons to each order.

According to ABI Research, shoppers spend more than $3.5B annually through their mobile devices, even though more than four out of five people have had a problem trying to checkout on their phones.

“Mobile phones ought to offer the most convenient shopping experience,” says Blake Scholl, CEO, Kima Labs. “But conventional mobile checkout is incredibly frustrating. When it works, it’s sluggish and requires tedious typing. TapBuy is a vastly easier way to order—so you can spend your time shopping, not filling out forms.”

TapBuy Deals lets consumers shop sale items from brands such as Target and Banana Republic as well as local offers from deal sites like Groupon, all in one app. Algorithms feature the most compelling offers and unusual discounts, and people can personalize TapBuy to their own tastes, including only the brands and deals that interest them.

Consumers only have to enter their credit card once — the first time they order. TapBuy “scans” their card using the iPhone’s built in camera, and then stores the information securely. When the user touches TapBuy, the app verifies their PIN and the order is sent. Items ordered from the same store are grouped to help save on shipping.

Tier-1 online merchants currently supported include Target, Banana Republic, Groupon, Gap, and Old Navy; new merchants are added regularly.

TapBuy Deals is available for the iPhone and iPod Touch in the App Store. Additional information and images are available at www.tapbuy.net. A demonstration of TapBuy Deals in action can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92CvPFlOTO0.

About Kima Labs

Kima Labs was founded by Amazon.com veterans Blake Scholl and Jason Crawford. The company’s mission is to bring the best of online shopping to mobile devices, providing new and better ways for find, discover, and buy products anywhere they might be. The company is seed funded by A-list angels, including Naval Ravikant, SV Angel (Ron Conway) and Owen Van Natta, and has received a strategic investment from the Washington Post Company.