# Social Financial Services This Online Payment Platform Lets Businesses Take Money Using $Cashtags By Alyson Wyers | Published 2015-04-11 | Business Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/online-payment-platform References: [springwise](http://www.springwise.com/business-payment-cashtag/) & [cash.me](https://cash.me/) Following the launch of their peer-to-peer online payment platform in 2013, [Square Cash](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/square) is extending their services to businesses too with $Cashtags. Using this new system, any company can take payments immediately from online customers. $Cashtags consists of a unique identifier that allows brands to obtain payments privately and securely via Square Cash. Businesses create and register their own memorable $Cashtag name using the app or website. From there, they just share it with customers. This could be through business cards, websites, [Twitter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/social-media-tipping-features) and other social media platforms or however else is deemed appropriate. Companies pay 1.5% of the transaction. Customers can also use the app or site to make their payments or donations. This suggests in addition to for-profit firms, non-profits and charities as well as artists could use this online payment platform. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.8/10 - Popularity: 28% | Activity: 47% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/business) > [Retail](https://www.trendhunter.com/retail) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Peer-to-peer Payments:** The rise of peer-to-peer payment platforms is disrupting the banking and financial industries by shifting control of transactions to consumers. - **Online Payment Platforms:** The growth of online payment platforms is making it easier for businesses to accept payments and expanding opportunities for customers to make purchases and donations online. - **Social Media Payments:** The integration of social media platforms with payment systems is providing new opportunities for businesses to engage with customers and streamline the payment process. ### Where This Applies - **E-commerce:** The e-commerce industry has been greatly impacted by the rise of online payment platforms and the ability to accept payments from customers around the world. - **Non-profits and Charities:** The ability to accept mobile and online donations through peer-to-peer payment platforms is allowing non-profit organizations and charities to reach more donors and raise more funds than ever before. - **Social Media Marketing:** The integration of payment platforms with social media channels creates opportunities for businesses to combine marketing efforts with transactions, creating a seamless customer experience. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Social Media Tipping Features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/social-media-tipping-features.md) - [Online Tip Collecting](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/collect-tips.md) - [Social Payment Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/beerme.md) - [Simple B2B Payment Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/b2b-payment-app.md) - [Digital Cash Payment Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/apple-cash.md) - [Unified Payment Links](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/supercash-link.md) - [AI-Powered Fintech Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/square.md) - [Contactless Payment Accepting Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tap-to-pay.md) - [Simple Creator Support Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/buy-me-a-beer.md)