Paying at the till by phone becoming common

Cash has long been losing out to credit cards but now both may be losing out in the battle for the most popular way of making payments to the smart phone.


There are many ways that you can now make payments with your phone. Some apps allow you to make payments for goods while others are used for other purposes. For example Venmo is popular in the United States among college students for sending money. It can send money to mobile numbers or email addresses.

Many people are now using digital wallets rather than having a physical wallet bulging with documents, credit cards and perhaps even cash. A digital wallet is described by Wikipedia:
A digital wallet refers to an electronic device that allows an individual to make electronic transactions. This can include purchasing items on-line with a computer or using a smartphone to purchase something at a store. An individual's bank account can also be linked to the digital wallet. They might also have their driver’s license, health card, loyalty card(s) and other ID documents stored on the phone.

Many of the digital wallet features involve software from large tech companies such as Google. Google wallet is a money transfer app. It allows you to send money from your phone to other person's emails or phone numbers. Recipients are notified by email and then go through steps to identify themselves to access the funds. Google Android Pay now in Canada since May enables users to pay by using their phone at participating merchants.

Square Inc. is also a company that has apps that allow merchants to accept credit card payments but has software that does much else for companies as well. Square Register is point of sale software that the company hopes will replace both traditional credit card terminals and cash registers. The software not only simplifies payment processing but at the same time can help inventory management. It will also be able to integrate with other third-party platforms. More information with a video included is available at this website.

As Wikipedia describes Square Register: "Square Register allows individuals and merchants in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom, to accept offline debit and credit cards on their iOS or Android smartphone or tablet computer."
Samsung Pay is available only on Android devices. It allows users to load their credit, debit, and gift cards to their platform. Having done so payment to stores may be made using the user's phone. Samsung Pay allows the phone to in effect mimic a physical card. The phone can be used to make payments to virtually any merchant who will accept the cards.

Competing with Google and Samsung is Apple Pay. It is an app that works on an iPhone. Apple may be a possible winner in the mobile phone payment competition. Apple Pay is already accepted by 50 percent of retailers in the United States. An Apple Pay website claims: " Unlike paying with a physical card, using Apple Pay in stores happens in seconds with your iPhone and Apple Watch. Just hold your iPhone near the reader with your finger on Touch ID or double-click the side button on your Apple Watch, then hold it near the reader." More and more you will see people reach for their phones at the checkout rather than for their wallet to take out a credit card or pay by cash.
More about apple pay, goggle pay, digital wallets