Jul 19, 2011 1:28 PM,

Sprint, Amex involved in still another mobile payment option

By Michelle Maisto

Select Sprint Android users will soon been able to make payments via Amex's Serve app-- which is at least the second mobile payment venture for each

Sprint and American Express have announced a new deal that offers each an additional tie to the growing mobile payments market. (CP: eBay's $240 million purchase of Zong a major win for carriers)

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Later this summer the pair will make American Express's mobile wallet application, called Serve, available in the Sprint Zone on select Sprint Android smartphones. The Serve platform unifies online, offline and mobile payment options into a single account that can be linked to credit or debit cards or to a bank account. It's also compatible with Apple's iOS, and Amex says it's working to extend support to Microsoft's Windows Phone and RIM operating systems.

The tie is a good one for Sprint, enabling it to offer the type of consumer-pleasing service that promotes "stickiness" and aligning it with a brand that's both trusted and is making aggressive strides to court mobile users and promote app interaction.

American Express also announced the launch of Link, Like, Love, what it's calling a "first-of-its kind application on Facebook." Built on Amex's Smart Offer API, it's another way for Amex card holders to receive discounts and deals without the bother of a coupon.

Based on the "likes" and interests of a cardmember and her friends, as well as where he or she is "checked in" on Facebook places, they will receive credits on their American Express statement.

"American Express has created innovative programs on Facebook that continue to put people at the center of their business," David Fischer, Facebook's VP of advertising and global operations, said in a statement. "Their latest consumer and merchant initiative takes advantage of the power of the social graph to create value for people and drive meaningful business results."

As with Amex's recent deal with Foursquare, there's a fun, young element of surprise (CP: Does Google have the right make-up to make Google+ work?) to Link, Like Love. And, as with its new deal with Sprint, Amex has created new motivation for consumers to pull their smartphones from their pockets in moments where a credit card previously would have sufficed.