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A12 technology
Wednesday 30 september 2020

Millennial Money: Try touchless payment to avoid dirty money

By GREGORY KARP of Nerd- will ask for authentication.
Wallet That's the normal unlock-
If you're looking for a self- ing procedure with your
improvement task in this phone, whether punching
pandemic era, try teaching in a code or using thumb-
yourself to use contactless print or face identification.
payments with your phone Many smartwatches work,
or "tap-to-pay" credit and too, as long as they have
debit cards. Any germa- the required technology,
phobe will tell you that the called NFC, or near-field
surfaces of bills and coins communication. The most
have always been gross. popular services are Apple
And handing your credit Pay, Google Pay and Sam-
card to a cashier who has sung Pay.
the sniffles and a hacking Phone payments require
cough? Even in pre-pan- a little prep work before
demic times, also gross. you get to the checkout
Now, COVID-19 has counter. First, you must en-
prompted the Centers for ter your payment card in-
Disease Control and Pre- formation into your mobile
vention to advise using wallet app. Then, the card
touchless payments when- This Oct. 8, 2019 file photo shows the Apple Pay app on an iPhone in New York. is saved and available to
ever possible in the brick- Associated Press use.
and-mortar world. ic.Since January, no-touch normal and encounter in- These cards don't require a TOUCHLESS PAY AT THE
Americans have been payments have increased person payment terminals smartphone to complete a PUMP
relatively slow to adopt at 69% of retailers surveyed more regularly, here are contactless payment, and Many retailers have mo-
touch-free payments even by the research firm Forrest- three ways to experiment you don't have to use a bile apps that let you pay
though they're more con- er on behalf of the National with contactless payments PIN. Nine of the top 10 U.S. on your phone and bypass
venient and secure than Retail Federation. And two- and avoid dirty currency credit card issuers are ac- in-person payment com-
swiping credit and debit thirds of retailers surveyed and much-touched pay- tively distributing new con- pletely. In those cases, you
cards. But maybe hygiene now accept some form of ment terminals. tactless cards to customers, typically would get items
will be the tipping point as no-touch payment. TAP TO PAY Visa has said. delivered or visit the store
people seek a solution for, Learning to use contactless True, the word "tap" doesn't "For people who are not for curbside or in-store pick-
well, yucky money. payments might be awk- exactly scream contact- used to engaging with up.
"I think the pandemic is a ward at first, and some of less. But "tap to pay" credit technology, I would say Another way to use a retail
strong impetus to change," your favorite retailers might and debit cards really only first look at your card, see if app is at major gas station
said Jodie Kelley, CEO of not be equipped to accept need to be within a couple it has the symbol. And if it chains. The apps (down-
the Electronic Transactions them. The point is to give it of inches of the payment does, the next time you're load them at an app store)
Association. "I think it's go- a shot the next time you're terminal. The cards have at a retail location, all you let you identify which pump
ing to stick and acceler- not in a rush in a checkout little antennas inside. have to do is touch that number you're at, then au-
ate further. As people get line that can handle con- How to tell if your payment card to the terminal," Kelley thorize you to use it. You
used to it and understand tactless payments. card has contactless ca- said. "It is incredibly straight- fill your tank with gas, and
how to do it and find that "The first time I went to pay pability? It will have a logo forward. I encourage peo- the charge goes to what-
it's simple and convenient, with my phone, I didn't that looks like a sideways ple to try it." ever payment method you
then they're not going to quite know how to do it," Wi-Fi symbol of radiating SMARTPHONE PAYMENTS identified in the gas-station
shift back." Kelley said. "I felt a little silly waves. Retail payment ter- With this option, you call app.
Consumer interest in con- trying to figure it out. But minals that accept con- up your wallet app and Just be sure to clean your
tactless payments has once I figured it out, I loved tactless payments have hold your phone near the hands after using the pump
spiked during the pandem- it."As people try to return to the same symbol. terminal, and your phone nozzle. q

Amazon sees broader audience for its palm recognition tech

SEATTLE (AP) — Amazon son would be required to ments, Amazon One could
has introduced new palm purposefully flash a palm at become an alternate pay-
recognition technology in the Amazon One device to ment or loyalty card option
a pair of Seattle stores and engage. with a device at the check-
sees a broader potential "And it's contactless, which out counter next to a tradi-
audience in stadiums, of- we think customers will ap- tional point of sale system,"
fices and elsewhere. preciate, especially in cur- Kumar wrote. "Or, for en-
Customers at the stores rent times," Kumar wrote in tering a location like a sta-
near Amazon's campus a blog post Tuesday. dium or badging into work,
in Washington can flash a The company expects to Amazon One could be part
palm for entry and to buy roll out Amazon One as of an existing entry point to
goods. an option in other Ama- make accessing the loca-
The company chose palm zon stores in the coming tion quicker and easier."
recognition, according to months, which could mean People can sign up for an
Dilip Kumar, vice president Whole Foods Market gro- Amazon One account
of Physical Retail & Tech- cery stores. But Amazon with a mobile phone num-
This undated photo provided by Amazon shows the Amazon nology, because it's more believes the technology is ber and credit card. An
One device at an Amazon Go store in Seattle. private than other biomet- applicable elsewhere. Amazon account isn't
Associated Press ric technology, and a per- "In most retail environ- necessary.q