LG has been trying to push its smart TV offerings with the development of webOS 3.0, and today the company announced a big new feature for its platform: a payment system. Partnering with Paymentwall, LG hopes you’ll buy content and apps straight from your TV.
The partnership between the two companies significantly expands support for payment methods and locations for LG customers. Now, you can pay straight through the TV’s platform in over 200 countries around the world, with more than 140 different payment methods.
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The way the system works is fairly straightforward. If you have an LG TV with webOS 3.0, you’ll now see a pop-up window allowing you to purchase content, apps and other digital goods straight through the TV. A user simply enters his credit card details and confirms the purchase, all without having to sign in. Crucially, LG says that smart TV owners will also get support for payment via desktops, laptops, tables or mobile phones using QR codes and “other secure verification protocols”.
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On the flip side of this, if you’re a developer you can now embed a “Buy Now” button into your apps, and call a system API that will handle all the rest. LG hopes this will drive traffic and revenue through its platform.
While purchasing digital goods straight through your TV may be convenient in some situations we’d also throw out a word of caution with regards to privacy and security. LG didn’t go into much detail when it comes to those important issues, so make sure you completely trust the TV and network you’re using before actually purchasing anything.