Now there is a lot of talk about contactless payment technologies using smartphones. The most popular ones at the moment (2016) are Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Android Pay. At the same time, with the first two, everything is more or less clear, they will be supported by smartphones of the same name manufacturers. But Android Pay is a kind of project in a vacuum, and how it will work is not completely clear. But that's not the point. In Russia, the ability to pay for purchases using a smartphone appeared back in 2013, when companies HTC and CardsMobile held a presentation of the Wallet application and NFC-based technology. Then there was no Apple Pay, by the way, it appeared in 2014. I wrote a separate article about 'Wallet', you can read it. Now I want to say this: all these contactless payment systems are an unconditional blessing and a 'mover' of progress to a bright future, but when you start using any of them, follow one simple rule.
Don't rely on your smartphone and carry your bank card and cash with you.
In fact, everything here is as simple and obvious as in other situations, but many, unfortunately, do not think about it. This is the same as setting a password on a smartphone or a fingerprint. This must be done by every owner of the device, if he does not want to be left without all his data, when suddenly one chance in a billion plays with him that the smartphone will be stolen, lost.
It's exactly the same with contactless payment. In general, with the development of technology, we will gradually move to Apple / Android / Google Pay. Some may even decide to completely leave bank cards and cash in the past. But a situation is always possible when the phone is lost / stolen / drowned, and if at this moment you are also somewhere on a business trip / trip, then it is quite obvious that without a card or cash the situation will be very difficult.
P.S. And in conclusion, I want to resolve the current dispute about which is more convenient for payment, a bank card with the PayPass / PayWave system or a smartphone. Of course, a bank card: took it out in a second, presented it, paid. So far, unfortunately, on smartphones all this happens smoothly only 'on paper'. Like the card, the smartphone also needs to be pulled out of the pocket. The smartphone needs to be attached to the terminal in the right place, and not all terminals are now the same as in promo pictures for Apple Pay or Android Pay, smooth and without any plastic grooves, blocks, etc. Further. The card is simpler in this regard – it is small and thin, in the end, when you apply it, you are not afraid to drop it. On your smartphone, you need to scan a fingerprint (Apple Pay) or enter a password (for verification).