I was at the pub fairly recently enjoying a few lemonades. As usual, nearly everyone in there was paying for their drinks via the “tappy tappy” system, as I tend to call it. That, for the uninitiated, is the contactless, mobile payment system.
Now, while many people are now fairly comfortable with just tossing the card at the barmaid and trusting them to tap the machine for you, there’s still a sizeable amount of people who use old-school cash.
I call it old-school because, if you actually want to get some cash out around here, you’re in a bit of trouble.
Just recently our two local cash machines have vanished. One shut down because, according to the owner of the shop it was attached to, the cash machine operator actually wanted the shop owner to pay for the machine being there. He had other ideas, so the cash machine got removed. Shortly after, the next local cash machine started introducing a charge. This, at £2 no matter how much you took out, was presumably introduced because there wasn’t any local competition any more – that other cash machine had gone.
This all means that my nearest free cash machine is now 5 miles away, which is incredibly annoying. However, back to the pub and there’s one of those tiny cash machines next to the bar. I hate these things. They charge you far too much to access your money, but that (for example) £4 charge pays for the space it occupies and the machine itself.
The end result? Well, although the local barbers and chip-shop still operate on a cash-only system
In the past, the one thing that you wouldn’t dare leave behind was a wallet or a purse. Often, as you go about your activities, you’ll need to grab something or when you are going back home, you may need to carry some shopping. In essence, money is an asset you can’t afford to lack with you in this age and day. Nowadays, however, with the invention of phones, you no longer have to walk around with your pockets bulky. The same phone that you use for browsing and making calls can be used to make payments for stuff you purchase. In this article, we show you paying with your phone in stores is done.
Setting up
Mobile payment apps have become so common because of the rate at which they are being developed. Most phones now come equipped with an inbuilt payment feature. If your device doesn’t come with the app, you will have to download one and install it on your Android or iOS phone. From here you need to set up the app and link it to your credit card, debit card or bank account, which is an effortless task in many cases. As a matter of fact, most people who’ve used it say that it works like a virtual credit card, especially when it comes to convenience and safety. The app provides a setup wizard to make your work easy.
Connect your phone with your bank account
Before you begin using your phone to make payments, you need to have linked it with an operational bank account that has an operating balance. Otherwise, no payment will be made from a zero balance bank account. Quite a number of banks worldwide have accepted to have phones access bank accounts. App developers have found a way to bring banks onboard and are cooperating very well, meaning that mobile payments are not going anywhere any time soon.
Making a mobile payment
Near field communication (NFC), a wireless technology, uses short-range radio waves that help your phone to communicate payment details with a particular store's payment terminals. In this case, your device should be NFC-enabled and you get to know your phone’s status by checking the manual or phone settings. After you are done picking your things, all you have to do with your phone is touch the payment terminal and you’re good to go.
When making a mobile payment, many payment apps require you to just provide your pin or enter your fingerprint to verify your identity. Although such payments are free without a fee in some stores, some payments may come with an extra charge depending on the particular service that you’re using.
Well, in case you haven't done so already, the time to embrace this mode of payment has finally come. The trick is to always carry your phone and have your account loaded. With time, arguably, phone payments will completely replace traditional payment… it’s the future.
All the same, not only is it easy, fast, and convenient mobile payment, it is also very secure compared to other modes of payment. It is also the latest trend now and more stores are opting for this.
