China's mobile payments market is forecast to be the largest in the world by 2015, comprising $80 billion in payments from 441 million active users, according to figures from research house Kapronasia.
The Chinese mobile payment market was estimated to be worth $7.6 billion at end 2011, rising to $84 billion by the end of 2015 - roughly doubling in size every year.
Research by KPMG in 2010 found China leading the world in the uptake of mobile finance, with 77% of consumers using their phones to conduct financial transactions
China has already surpassed the US as the biggest smart mobile phone market worldwide. But with less than 10% of the country's total 900 million mobile phone subscribers using smartphones, there remains tremendous scale for growth in terms of more advanced phones and services, says Kapronasia.
Growth in m-commerce is expected to accelerate further next year, as the Chinese authorities finalise new standards and regulations covering the mobile payments market.
"2012 will prove to be a crucial year for the mobile payments industry as Chinese authorities establish final technology standards," says Zennon Kapron, managing director of Kapronasia. "Firms must continue to push for innovation in both technology and business models in order to stay competitive in this rapidly growing market."