Executives in the banking, retail, and technology industries acknowledge that mobile payments must tantalize consumers with targeted coupons and offers to demonstrate they are more valuable than an ordinary plastic card, which has been a fast and reliable payment method for about 50 years.

WSJ: What's in Your Mobile Wallet? Not Much

The method used to calculate the mortality figures is similar to that used to produce estimates of ordinary seasonal flu deaths, which are believed to number about 36, 000 a year.

CNN: H1N1 death toll estimated at 3,900 in U.S.