PayPal Here is the world's first global mobile payments solution that allows small businesses to accept almost any form of payment. The new service includes a free app and fully encrypted thumb-sized card reader, which turns any iPhone, and soon Android smartphone, into a mobile payment solution.
When PayPal approached fuseproject with an idea to facilitate real world payments, the prospect of creating a physical product and new brand for the e-commerce pioneer was a tantalizing design challenge. PayPal and fuseproject's brand and design team partnered on the expression of this new experience through all interaction points, from naming to packaging, sound and device, web and communication.
The leader in online payment, PayPal, is moving to face-to-face transactions and will bring the ease and comfort of their online platform to the real world. We named it PayPal "Here" to highlight its physical presence and anywhere-anytime possibilities.
Most payment transactions are disconnected and confusing, with Paypal Here we sought to create an ecosystem where all elements are clear, simple, consistent and a pleasure to use. The Here logo, iconography, packaging and device follow an arrow-like form that references the physical world where payments happen one-on-one, and also the virtual cloud world that enables these new forms of payments.
The PayPal Here arrow is a symbol for easy payment. It expresses how each swipe sends your transaction onward to the cloud. The offset surface layer on the card reader easily identifies the credit card swiping track for the user. The front triangle is also an innovative drop down lock that prevents swivel or pivot when one swipes a card. The width of the device track fits perfectly on a smartphone while ensuring enough of the card is read for a successful transaction every time. The layering on the product mimics PayPal's two-tone brand coloring, while also immediately indicating the product's functionality. The product and application experience is further enhanced by sound design when the dongle is inserted in a phone, or when a transaction is complete.
The Here shipper is a smart corrugated triangular box, made of a recycled corrugated material that insures robustness and flexibility when sent through the mail to customers. It includes an iconic Here sticker that becomes a recognizable icon for the Here service.
PayPal Here does more than accept payments - through its distinct design and brand ecosystem, it serves as a brand flag for PayPal in the everyday real world.