2 hours ago, Dipterocarp said:

There is no pfaffing about.　Much faster than pulling a card out of a wallet or purse, sticking it in a slot, entering a PIN then having to wait for authorization, prior to putting the card away again securely before leaving the register. As is it seems many people walk around with a mobile in their hands already these days...

Well you don't just pull your phone out and hey presto the payment is made. You have to open the app and scan the code in which takes a while to focus, probably more time than pulling your card out of your wallet and tapping in the PIN. A lot of countries have contactless cards too, which takes almost no time. Why not introduce that in Thailand instead of this smartphone gimmick?

Edited January 2, 20188 yr by edwardandtubs

18 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

Well you don't just pull your phone out and hey presto the payment is made. You have to open the app and scan the code in which takes a while to focus, probably more time than pulling your card out of your wallet and tapping in the PIN. A lot of countries have contactless cards too, which takes almost no time. Why not introduce that in Thailand instead of this smartphone gimmick?

You have no idea what you are talking about. All I have to do is touch home button on my iPhone,  the wallet app is thus activated and transaction approved, just being in proximity of the POS device.  

 

Moments later I get an email from AMEX or VISA notifying me of the sale. (A separate function). It works so fast I can go through a turnstile in a Japanese subway station pass the mobile over the sensor not even breaking stride (about two steps), directly following somebody in front. Any problem the gate would close. If people think this is a gimmick that is fine but is much faster than "faffing about" with a plastic cards and physical wallets. I can't explain the technology but mobile payments according to what I have read are somehow more secure than chipped cards and the credit card companies and banks are embracing the technology quickly. 

4 hours ago, Dipterocarp said:

You have no idea what you are talking about. All I have to do is touch home button on my iPhone,  the wallet app is thus activated and transaction approved, just being in proximity of the POS device.  

 

Moments later I get an email from AMEX or VISA notifying me of the sale. (A separate function). It works so fast I can go through a turnstile in a Japanese subway station pass the mobile over the sensor not even breaking stride (about two steps), directly following somebody in front. Any problem the gate would close. If people think this is a gimmick that is fine but is much faster than "faffing about" with a plastic cards and physical wallets. I can't explain the technology but mobile payments according to what I have read are somehow more secure than chipped cards and the credit card companies and banks are embracing the technology quickly. 

When using contactless card payments in the UK all I have to do is pull out my wallet and wave it near the machine so not faster to use smartphones at all.

I have something like that too, called SUICA, very convenient. I also use the SUICA app. When using the actual card one must touch it to the reader, the APP is faster and does not require contact. The SUICA APP can be funded by my bank account. Using the card only requires one to go to a ticket machine in the Train station and load cash money onto it. That is time consuming and inefficient.

 

Many vendors do not yet accept credit card payments but they do accept such digital money cards.  Any contactless card system, digital money touch card ¥ device or mobile payment APP  is better than waiting for a girl to count out paper bills, possibly shortchanging you at the mini-mart, then stack "metallic tender discs" precariously on top with another useless bit of receipt paper that nobody really needs.

 

Such a system is already used in Thailand (7/11 cards) and could be a basis for a universal payments network  for Thailand (preferably when cash is banned.)  One does not even need a bank account. All transactions tracked, VAT applied and all income taxes paid.

 

I would prefer to not carry a wallet at all in the future as all daily functions could be contained in APPS on my mobile phone. I don't carry a house key,  or wristwatch I find them anachronistic. The key to my Honda is a fob that never leaves my pocket or bag. I know some people cling to outdated technologies but I find them to be liberating.

 

 

Edited January 4, 20188 yr by Dipterocarp

On 01/01/2018 at 9:58 AM, Confuscious said:

Thais love "CASH".
I have been living in Thailand almost 2 decades and nothing has changed about that.
Everywhere they want to see "CASH".
If I ask "Can I pay with my Credit Card", the answer is that they will charge xxx Baht for the CC use.
Best of all is the school of my child, Assumption.
They have schools all over Thailand.
I pay the school fee every year with my Thai CC and they charge me 850 Baht for the transaction.
 

They are being charged by the CC companies.