This online feature article is adapted from Arthur D. Little’s recent Viewpoint on ‘Mobile Payment.’ Mobile payments have taken off on a global scale, accounting for a total of $285 billion (€252bn) in 2014 and representing seven percent of global electronic transactions. Arthur D. Little expects these figures to continue growing at a fast pace, exceeding $800 billion (€706bn) by 2017. Mobile network operators (MNOs) have been active in the mobile payment space for over a decade, but with limited success in developed markets. They are now facing an ever-decreasing window of opportunity as other players seek to bypass them.