MintChip - Mobile Currency App for the Royal Canadian Mint

MintChip - Android Application

MintChip for Android is designed from the bottom-up to be a smooth, user-friendly, and beautiful mobile payment app. Whether it be for your phone or otherwise, the MintChip platform is made to be universal, and  functionally simple. The MintChip for Android app has not strayed from this belief. From micro-payments to sending a little bit of money to your friends, MintChip for Android has you covered.

The MintChip app for Android was built while keeping backwards-compatibility - as well as simplicity and current Android design - in mind, and this means that, yes, even devices without SD card slots are supported.

In doing this, MintChip has been made to be an attractive, easy to use app for quick mobile payments. One that would not get in the way of the user and their payment.

Menu

The menu screen is the central part of the application, allowing you to visit any other section of the application using just a tap of the screen. 

In addition, there is a drop-down menu activated by clicking "My MintChip" in the action bar. Using the drop-down menu, you are able to quickly view many details about your MintChip, including the ID, amount of money contained, and number of transactions completed using your MintChip.

As well, the camera icon allows you to scan a QR code which may contain payment data. Using this method, you can easily obtain someone's MintChip ID (shown in a later screen), or quickly fill in other fields and payment methods.

History

The MintChip holds a log of all completed transactions on your device. Using this, you can easily view past debit and credit transactions. Clicking on an entry will show further details, such as the time of day, and the payer / payee of the transaction.

In addition, the app offers the ability to export all debit and credit transactions to an Excel file. This can be useful when someone may require to keep records of their transactions.

Making and Receiving Payments

Making payments is simple using this MintChip app. Using the camera button, one can easily scan a QR code to enter someone's MintChip ID or fill in payment methods.

There are a variety of payment methods:

1. Email
   Using the email method, one can send a payment file as an attachment in an email. Just click send, and your payment will be automatically attached to an email, ready to send.
2. SMS / Text Message
   Using the SMS method, one can send a payment through text message to any other Android phone. They will receive this payment and will be notified. Easy!
   If the user chooses not to accept an SMS payment when it is received, it will be placed in a queue of pending requests. The user can then choose to accept whenever they feel is a good time.
3. Web Payments
   Using web payments, one can upload their payment file to a web service. This may be useful to businesses which may specify a website to upload your payments to.
4. Saving Locally
   Using this method, you can (you guessed it!) save the payment file locally. Once this is done, you have the freedom to transfer it via USB, email, or any other file-sharing method.
5. Sending via Bluetooth
   This method is hidden by default, due to the inherent complexities with P2P communication, but a merchant can enable the functionality. Should a merchant choose to enable it, the phone will search for a specified device on which to connect (likely at the cashier) and can transfer the file using Bluetooth.

In addition, payments can be made using info from a special value request file. Opening this file on your phone will, just like the QR codes, populate the payment page with all of the required data for the user to make their payment.

Given so many methods of sending money, it's easy to receive or send your payments however you like.

My MintChip

This part of the app will allow you to obtain a QR code containing your MintChip ID, as well as your email and phone number (given that you have provided them in the setup page). It will also allow you to view pending payments received through SMS, and accept them on a payment-by-payment basis.

Customization

Merchant

Being a merchant, you will certainly want to customize your interaction with the customer. We've got you covered.

Using this MintChip app, QR codes can be easily customized to provide specific information to the customer, hide other information, and prevent the editing of information provided. Some tags included to customize your payment requests are:

• id : used to provide an ID to the device
• editId : prevent the editing of a provided ID (true / false)
• value : provide a value to the device (in dollar amount)
• editValue : prevent the editing of a value (true / false)
• phone : provide a phone number for SMS payments
• email : provide an email address for email payments
• hideOpts : hide payment options for which information has not been specified (true / false)
• editOpts : disable the editing of information for payment methods (true / false)
• many, many more...

An example QR code would look something like the following:

*Note: some may consider this syntax for a MintChip payment request 'URL' to be disgustingly wrong. I consider it innovative.

**Note: By innovative, I mean it works well enough for me and can be changed at any time.

Customer

During the initial setup of your MintChip, you will be given the option to include your email address and phone number in your MintChip's QR code. Should you not want to provide these, you do not need to, and can edit them any time in the future.