PayPal Brings TV Shopping to Comcast, TiVo

SAN FRANCISCO: The online payment service PayPal has linked up with Comcast Cable and TiVo in two separate deals to offer "T-Commerce" shopping opportunities for viewers, using only their remote controls or companion smartphone or tablet devices.

PayPal and Comcast are exploring opportunities that would enable consumers to make purchases or donations related to content they’re watching on TV using the remote control, or on a companion device such as a smartphone or tablet. The two are also looking into the possibility of enabling consumers to accept coupons directly into their PayPal online account during TV ads.

With TiVo, PayPal is working to provide advertisers with the opportunity to turn their commercials into interactive T-Commerce opportunities. A TiVo interactive tag during a commercial would indicate that ability to "buy now" using PayPal. The viewer could then pause the show, complete the transaction using PayPal and return to watching the program, all using their TiVo remote.

"There’s been a lot of talk about interactive ‘T-Commerce’ for a long time, but all signs point to an industry that’s finally on the verge of taking a real foothold in consumers’ live," said Scott Dunlap, the VP of emerging opportunities at PayPal, in a blog post. 

"We can’t wait to get to work with these companies to help bridge the next evolution of T-Commerce. We see PayPal as a natural fit for this space and our ubiquitous wallet as a critical final ‘piece of the puzzle’ to enable true interactive television commerce.

"The online and offline world have merged and commerce now happens anytime and everywhere. We believe the TV is the next natural outlet for commerce and we’re excited to bring the innovation and security of PayPal’s payment solutions to this new frontier. And we’re in good company, eBay Mobile has also recently entered the T-Commerce space with their Watch with eBay iPad app that launched in March.

"We’re also extremely appreciative to the interactive television community as a whole for embracing PayPal and allowing us to be an essential part in powering interactive television commerce into the future."