In an interview with VentureBeat, Braintree CEO Bill Ready put “one-touch buying” at the center of what to expect when it comes to payments over the next few years (recall that Braintree was acquired by PayPal in September 2013). Bill believes part of this has to do with the challenge of entering data on mobile devices, especially smartphones. But this initiative also responds effectively to the Prime Directive of E-commerce Innovation: “More Time Shopping, Less Time Transacting.”

The feature is optional, and users have both the ability to opt-in/opt-out, as well as specify which source of funding you want to be used for your One Touch transactions (PayPal balance, linked bank account, or credit card). Calling One Touch payments “the magical experience that every mobile user will come to expect,” Bill may be engaging in a touch of hyperbole. But in a world in which Amazon is increasingly interested in the payments business, it is interesting to see PayPal leverage Braintree technology in order to strike back at Amazon on its own “one-step shopping” turf. 

There will be a handful of merchant apps available initially as part of the developer beta, with other merchants coming on board in the weeks to come.  Soon any developer with access to the Braintree v.zero SDK – and anyone who uses PayPal – will be able to take advantage of One Touch. More information on the technology for consumers and merchants is available here. Developers can find out how to get started, including accessing the SDKs at PayPal’s developer portal.

And speaking of developers, join PayPal at FinDEVr for the company’s presentation on how wearables are changing the payments landscape. The first fintech event for developers, FinDEVr will be held from September 30 to October 1 in San Francisco. For more information, visit our FinDEVr page.