09-02-2010, 03:02 PM | #1 |
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Kobo App -- How to Buy Books?
I was looking at the Kobo webpage and reading about their smartphone apps. I'm interested, but I want to know how to pay for them. I don't plan to sit and enter my credit card number into my itty bitty smartphone keyboard whenever I want to buy a book. Do I have to leave my payment information in my account? Is there an option to prepay?
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09-02-2010, 03:18 PM | #2 | |
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You can sign out of your account on your smartphone every time you use it but all your books will be deleted until you sign in again, when they will all be downloaded again. (at least that's how it works on my iPhone) |
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09-02-2010, 03:28 PM | #3 |
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[QUOTE=sakura-panda;1089640] Do I have to leave my payment information in my account? QUOTE]
Kobo keeps your credit number on your account at all times. Unfortunately if you want to change your card number you have to sign in to your account on a PC. Or at least, I did. |
09-02-2010, 03:49 PM | #4 |
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Thanks for the quick replies!
It seems like a pretty basic question, but I don't buy any paid apps for my Android phone for that reason -- I don't know how I'll be billed for it. It makes sense that it would be through the app by Kobo, even if it has to be handled by the PC. I was afraid I would be charged through whatever unknown-to-me method the Android Marketplace uses. |
09-02-2010, 04:52 PM | #5 | |
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09-02-2010, 05:39 PM | #6 |
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Really? I'll have to set it up. I used it once a long time ago, but that credit card is long gone.
My husband pays the phone bills and I've been afraid that any charges would go on there and I didn't want that to happen. Fluffy stuff like apps I'd rather pay separately and not tack onto the regular bill. Thanks! |
09-02-2010, 07:18 PM | #7 |
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Kobo is a real company, just like Amazon is 9but waaaay smaller). Having a credit card on file there is not like buying an app that makes quacking sounds from some unknown person. Whenever you buy on-line, you face the decision of whether the place you are buying from is reputable, trustworthy, and secure. Based on everything I know about Kobo, I feel confident that they are doing what they need to do to protect my credit card information. Does that mean that there will never be a security problem--well, we have seen big banks develop holes in their security system, so it could conceivably happen. it all boils down to a person's comfort level for this kind of thing.
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09-02-2010, 08:04 PM | #8 |
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I only wish they had payment information posted somewhere. Just a little "we accept" blurb would have been enough for me. I couldn't find anything, which I thought was unusual for an online store. Perhaps Sony and Apple do not post it either -- I don't know -- but I have a GC for iTunes and I opened a Sony card to buy my Reader, so I didn't think twice about how I was going to pay to either one.
I didn't want to sign up and order a book and find out the bill would be mailed to me or something. It is one thing to assume they take Visa or Paypal or whatever, but it's nicer to have that spelled out for me. This also probably means I'll need to set up an account before I try to buy a book through the app, to make things simpler. |
09-02-2010, 08:38 PM | #9 |
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They do kind of bury their payment options information in the Kobo Online FAQ section which can only be accessed from their Help page.
Amazingly, the front FAQ page puts all the question categories in tiny print in a sidebar at the bottom right-hand side, and a huge announcement takes up the main viewing area. Kids, don't use blogging software for this sort of thing unless you really want to frustrate your customers. Or at least put the FAQ category links on the top left hand side and bold it. Also, they're owned by Chapters Indigo, a major Canadian bookstore chain (which used to be two separate major Canadian bookstore chains before the merger/buyout). |
09-02-2010, 09:28 PM | #10 | |
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09-02-2010, 09:44 PM | #11 |
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Nope. Chapters-Indigo is the majority owner; US-based Borders, Instant Fame, a subsidiary of Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd., and REDgroup Retail Pty Ltd. are the other co-owners. Chapters owns 58%; Borders "under 20%; and the remain 22% by the other partners. See March 1, 2010 article in Canadian Business: http://www.canadianbusiness.com/mana...01_10019_10019
It helps explain why Kobo is not the only e-reader Borders sells. |
09-03-2010, 02:58 AM | #12 |
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LOL--the 48% popped into my mind, but even as I typed it, I was scratching my head re the majority ownership thing. I should have taken the urge to scratch as a signal to look it up before I wrote . I must be getting old--I swear I knew all of this two weeks ago.
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09-03-2010, 10:16 AM | #13 | |
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Thanks for sharing the link. |
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