People today, especially the younger generations, have become more individualistic and impatient than ever before. Mobile phones made us accessible and information instantaneous at all times, Covid-19 reintroduced a personal space more than ever, and together they made a contactless expectation. Some say it gives them better control over the situation and some enjoy saving time. Either way, contactless payment is here to stay.

The evolution of payments

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Back in the day, there were old-style cashier registers, where you usually paid in cash and later credit card payments joined. From those times till now, we’ve witnessed many changes. It’s hard to put the finger on when exactly it all began, but it seems every step along the way gave us greater control and made us a bit happier.

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Contactless credit card - Tap to pay

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The slight change of tapping cards instead of giving them to the cashier gave shoppers a wonderful experience. First, a stranger doesn’t have to take our card to charge us, and you can also see the exact amount in front of you before tapping to pay. Just these two features give people a sense of control and safety.

Also, since most mobile phones today already come with NFC built-in, the switch to the tapping technique allows us to start paying with our cards through our mobile phones, benefitting both clients and stores.

Previously, if you forgot your card or wallet, you’d have to abandon the cart and leave the store empty-handed. But mobile payments give you shopping capabilities at all times.

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Self-checkout

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Self-checkout machines started to appear, and once you saw them you couldn’t unsee them, and they’re literally everywhere now, and we’re grateful. As soon as you introduce yourself to the convenience self-checkout provides, it’s hard to go back to standing in the line.

Paying in a self-checkout kiosk is less stressful, as you don’t have to keep up with someone else's pace nor hold up a huge line behind you while packing your stuff.

Employees benefit as well from self-checkout kiosks, as it reduces interaction with people and a variety of moods, and they don't have to be attached to the cashier all the time, assisting when needed and devoting their time to other tasks.

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Frictionless checkout  

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The latest evolution is the frictionless checkout. Unlike the self-checkout option, in this case, the customer doesn’t even have to stop by a cashier at all, he or she enters with a dedicated app or hardware, take whatever they need from the shelves, and leave the store as soon as they’re done.

The payment will be collected through the supported app or system, eliminating anything that might cause a client to abandon the cart – enter the store, take what’s needed, and automatically pay when leaving.

This is possible thanks to accurate live time tracking systems that can follow each item at any given moment. As a result, all the products are flowing smoothly with minimum manual handling.

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The benefits of contactless payments

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Health and personal space

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The first benefit that comes to mind when thinking of contactless anything is hygiene and covid safety. When covid-19 outbreak spread, people were required to keep 2 meters distance to protect their health and avoid spreading the disease. At that time, the ability to serve clients with minimum interaction between people was very important.

But even today, it feels like people became a bit more couscous to their personal space and avoid contact when unnecessary. Therefore, transferring cash or credit card from hand to hand is not desired by a lot of people.

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Timesaving

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Having frictionless payments or even just a self-checkout kiosk cut a lot of precious time for shoppers. With the self-checkout kiosks, a business can hold more cashier stands while not being subject to employee availability.

Life has become much more fast-paced than it used to be, people work longer hours than ever, therefore they value time-saving efforts whenever they can. If they must wait a long time in lines to pay, they might get frustrated and abandon the cart.

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Customer experience and satisfaction

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Having contactless payment methods gives clients greater control which translates to increased satisfaction.

A client that knows there are quick methods to pay can do his or her shopping easy minded without being afraid of the lines in the end. When they reach the checkout point, they can scan the items and pack them at their own pace without feeling rushed, delayed, or just stressed to fit someone else pace nor upset the people behind.

Clients can go over their item list before the payment to make sure there are no mistakes instead of first paying and later waiting for customer service to refund errors, causing inconveniences and delays.

Moreover, self-checkout allows people to feel more comfortable removing items if they find out they cannot afford them, or the entire cart turned out to be more expensive than expected

Same with coupons; sometimes people feel uncomfortable using coupons in front of others. Contactless payment provides clients with a safe and unjudgmental shopping environment and improves their satisfaction.

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Labor cost reduction

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From a business point of view, contactless checkout options can allow huge labor cost savings. If previously a great number of cashiers were needed to operate each shift, now there only a few are needed to provide assistance, which contributes to a better work experience as well.

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Data collection and customer loyalty

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Smart contactless checkout options such as frictionless checkouts and kiosks are smoothly integrated and connected to client profiles. As a result, the business will be able to track customer behavior and gather better information while also offering a more customized shopping experience for the client.

Personalized discounts and personalized sales will be shown to each client to increase their likelihood of purchasing. This is a win-win for businesses and clients.

To sum up, the age of contactless payments has revolutionized the way we make transactions. The convenience and benefits of contactless payments, from tap-to-pay credit cards to self-checkout kiosks and frictionless checkout, have transformed the shopping experience for both customers and businesses.

Contactless payments provide a sense of control and safety, promote hygiene and personal space, and save valuable time. Customers enjoy greater satisfaction and comfort and businesses can reduce costs and improve their sales efforts. Contactless payments have become an integral part of our modern world, catering to our desire for efficiency, convenience, and enhanced customer experiences.