Many consumers wary of mobile transactions, survey says

Apple has rolled out the iPhone 6, heavily touting its ability to easily make purchases and complete credit transactions, but a new measure of consumer enthusiasm finds the desire to make those payments via phone is seriously lagging.

The survey by CreditCards.com shows only 4 percent of Americans say they always use their cellphones for purchases. Better than six in 10 say they would either never, or hardly ever, use a smartphone for a purchase.

Reluctance was greater as age increased, says CreditCards.com analyst Matt Schulz, "and I think that's just a function of, you know, younger folks have grown up with technology just being a part of their lives."

Schulz speculates that all of the recent headlines about credit hacking of retailers such as Target and Home Depot are fueling some of the mobile phone pushback. Also, he said, "People need to be convinced that it's going to be easier and more convenient to pay using your mobile phone than it will be to use your credit card or debit card."

People with higher incomes, those who are better educated, and parents were demographic groups in the survey who were more likely to embrace mobile phone buying and payments. Nearly half of those surveyed (49 percent) with household incomes under $30,000 said they would never make a transaction by phone. However, 69 percent of those who make $75,000 or more said they would buy with a phone.

Forty-seven percent of non-parents in the survey said they would never use their cell to make a purchase, while 37 percent of parents said they would not use their mobile phones to buy or transact.