Mobile payments is attracting companies from all over the financial services world. USAA, perhaps best known as an insurance company for U.S. service members and their families, has been running a pilot of a new peer-to-peer (P2P) payment solution for its members. The payment solution enables members to send and receive funds using only an email address or mobile phone number using PayPal to handle the transactions.

"We are committed to providing our members with secure solutions to help them manage their finances from the platform they choose," said Andy Collins, assistant vice president of USAA Bank, said in a statement. "Mobile banking is quickly evolving into a full-service experience for USAA members, and we're excited to give members another payment method."

And now the company is releasing some data on just how its customers have used the service during the past six months. According to an email from USAA:

• 21 percent of P2P payments were gifts with 70 percent given during the holidays.
• One in five payments (20 percent) were direct payments for services like house cleaning, haircuts and babysitting.
• 19 percent were reimbursements for things like meals, gas and plane tickets.
• 8 percent were payments for rent, utilities and other bills.
• A small percentage (2 percent) went to contest fees like Fantasy Football and an office weight-loss contest.

USAA said it will use the data to refine the service for its members. The company has recently expanded functionality of the P2P service to include features like bill payment from mobile devices.

For more information on stories like this, visit the Money Transfer/P2P research center.