Nowadays, paying with cash is rare. Few people actually have money with them. In fact, the coronavirus supported this trend – due to hygienic reasons and safety measures, people were mostly asked to avoid using cash and switched to other payment methods. Hence, digital payment means continued to flourish. In this article, we list the most common methods ranging from credit cards to smartphones and PayPal.
Credit cards and NFC
Credit cards are accepted nearly everywhere and worldwide. In stores as well as hotels, restaurants, ticket machines or car rental companies – paying by credit card is always fine. In some countries, there is a minimum amount which needs to be passed in order to pay with credit card. With a credit card, the transactions made are collected and debited from your account, usually on a monthly basis. At more and more cash registers, it is possible to pay with radio-capable cards – mostly thanks to NFC radio technology. The abbreviation NFC stands for Near Field Communication. To pay, cards or devices need only be held in front of the reader. For amounts under 25 euros, this mostly functions without a PIN or signature. It works with many checking or credit cards. Most banks are now issuing new cards only with contactless payment functions, recognizable by the radio waves printed on them. However, critics have argued that contactless payment with credit cards might also be dangerous. Nevertheless, the chip in the card or smartphone transmits over a maximum of four centimeters. It does not transmit any personal data such as the cardholder’s address or name. Only special readers can receive and decode the signals. Anyone who is still unsure whether their card will be read can protect it with a specially coated cover.
Smartphone as a payment instrument
NFC technology enables also paying with cellphones and smart watches. Since the smartphone is the object which each person has with him or her the most time of the day, phones are the ideal payment device. Mobile payment gets more and more popular these days. In order to use the own phone to pay, one needs to download a certain app, depending on the type of cellphone. For android phones, Google Pay is a suitable app which allows to turn the smartphone into a credit card. However, few banks actually support this method. For iOS phones, Apple Pay works best. This paying method is accepted in most businesses, such as shops, restaurants and gas stations. The exact progress of payment depends on the respective app. As a rule, however, a credit card or girocard must be deposited which is used for billing. Contactless payment via smartphone speeds up the process enormously. Since customers no longer have to spend ages gathering their change or entering their PIN, other store visitors only have to wait a short time for their turn, and shopkeepers can serve more customers in the same amount of time.
PayPal: Money transfer, shopping and entertainment
PayPal has a lot of benefits. Sending money to friends is simple and fast: You just need the person’s phone number or mail address, enter the requested amount and the money is sent freely. However, PayPal also enables quick paying during shopping. When downloading the PayPal app on your cellphone, you can also use it for paying in stores. A QR code is scanned on the user’s smartphone at the checkout, which then releases the payment in the app. Additionally, PayPal can be used for online payment. Hardly any online entertainment provider neglects PayPal. As a fast and safe method, PayPal can be used for payment in online shops and for paying in online entertainment businesses such as casinos. Many people are unsure if playing at online casinos is safe. However, comparison sites like vegasslotsonline.com offer an overview of reputable providers such as new online casinos so that the customer does not have to worry about his personal data and account. Furthermore, there are a number of licenses that guarantee respectability, including the MGA. In licensed casinos, deposits and withdrawals can be considered as safe. Playing in casinos without a license, on the other hand, is not recommended, since there is no institution that ensures the protection of the player’s interests.