Why PayPal.me didn't launch in Asia

SINGAPORE — When payments giant PayPal launched its stripped-down service, PayPal.me, on Tuesday, Asia was notably missing from the roster of 18 launch areas.

PayPal.me is a mobile-friendly URL which you can send to friends and collect payment. It's designed to remove at least one of the steps in PayPal's current peer-to-peer transfer process, which requires you to punch in the recipient's email address before sending money.

In Asia, where the Internet populace goes online heavily via mobile phones, you'd think PayPal would ensure it didn't miss the region in launching a mobile-focused consumer service. Read more...