Just realized I was wrong about tap-to-pay being a passing fad

About three years ago, I was helping a friend set up his new food truck in Austin. He wanted to get a card reader and was excited about one that did tap-to-pay. I told him not to bother, that it was just a flashy thing for big city folks and most people would just swipe or insert their chip. I was sure it wouldn't catch on. Fast forward to last week, I was at a farmers market and watched for ten minutes. Out of maybe twenty people buying things, eighteen just tapped their phone or card. I had to eat my words. My own landscapers now ask if they can tap when they buy their morning coffee from me. I totally misjudged how fast people would trust and use it. Has anyone else had to change their mind about a payment tech they thought would fail?

3 comments

3 Comments

benreed1mo ago

Saw an article that said tap to pay use tripled last year. Guess we all got used to it fast.

oliver71921d ago

The triple stat makes sense because contactless went from "nice to have" to "I don't want to touch anything that 50 strangers touched today." Once you get used to waving your phone over a reader instead of digging for your wallet and swiping a dirty terminal, going back feels gross. I still see people fumbling with their chip cards at the grocery store and think "just tap your damn phone, it takes two seconds." Even my mom who used to write checks at the register now taps her watch at the gas station. The convenience just won out once the pandemic removed the stigma and everyone realized how fast it actually is.

cameron9631mo ago

Felt the same way about QR code menus at restaurants. Thought it was a lazy cost-cutting move that would annoy everyone. Then I watched my own dad, who still prints out MapQuest directions, pull out his phone and scan one without a second thought. That was the moment I knew I was wrong. Now I get annoyed when a place only has paper menus that are sticky from syrup.