The cashless society is coming
Posted 9 November 2007 at 8:26AM by Simon Dickson in Ecommerce and online payments
Every now and again, there's an advertising campaign you can't seem to escape from. At the moment, one which catches my eye everywhere in London is for the new Barclaycard OnePulse payment card. The 'pitch' is that it's 'the only card you'll ever need': a standard credit card, with instant payment of small purchases, plus a built-in London 'Oyster' travel pass.
It's one of those 'Tomorrow's World' moments: why exactly, in this day and age, are we still carrying fat wallets around? It's 12 years since the groundbreaking Mondex experiment in Swindon, when the world came to Wiltshire to see what the cashless society looked like. Now, at last, we seem to be getting somewhere. For purchases of £10 and under, you just hold your card up to a reader: no signature, no PIN. (Well, maybe occasionally for security purposes.) The amount is then charged to your credit card account.
The OnePulse brand isn't the only show in town. You'll see plenty of advertising for Visa's PayWave card, and Mastercard has its own PayPass product. The Visa and Mastercard websites list dozens of different outlets where you can use the new technology (both using Google Maps, incidentally): but thankfully, it's all inter-compatible. They all use the same technology, and a Visa card will work on a Mastercard reader (etc).
It's all coming to a pocket near you during 2008. The Mastercard site says 'cardholders with participating banks' - including all the usual High Street names - 'will automatically receive a PayPass enabled credit and/or debit card as part of the usual re-issuance cycle as their cards reach their expiry date.'
Tags: barclaycard, cash, mastercard, mondex, oyster, paypass, swindon, tfl, visa
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Comments
2. At November 9, 2007 10:48 PM, simon wrote:
end of the fat wallet !
don't make me laugh.
My wallet never has any money in - its full of receipts from plastic transactions, now if this card kept its own running log in memory , that you could download - that would be progress.
3. At November 10, 2007 9:43 AM, Geoff McKibbin wrote:
Sorry for being possibly melodramatic but this posting brings the bible to my thougths which tells me(written over 2000years ago)in a future day without the "mark of the beast" we cannot buy or sell. How close we must be to the fulfillment of the bible. Thanks for reminding me that we are not here to stay and that God's prophetic calender will be fulfilled.
4. At November 11, 2007 9:15 AM, J G Dawson wrote:
I take it that's if you want to be a nobody, a number or just one of the crowd - In the future, I'd say cash will still be king and may even generate a cash-class with serious snob value...
5. At November 11, 2007 9:31 AM, tim power wrote:
Whats so great about a cashless society?
its great if your the bloke with the switch and if someone doesnt agree with your views you can just turn off the persons info and make them a non person,unable to get credit,vote etc.This is another way for big brother to watch us and what we are doing
6. At November 12, 2007 9:24 PM, Tanvir Ahmed wrote:
Another way to get people to take a credit card and then run into debt, especially people who might get into another debt.
If you don't have money in your wallet, don't buy anything. I would rather wait for the DEBIT CARD.
Say no to Credit Cards.
7. At November 12, 2007 10:01 PM, James Lyon wrote:
You must be joking - Ok in Cities with a bank on every corner. Move out of the major cities and it will not work. Banks want it - We dont.
James Lyon Shropshire.
8. At November 13, 2007 9:44 PM, Rod Trott wrote:
It amazes me how gullible people are. This is one step closer to each new born baby being fitted with a 'chip' that will record every move, till death.
9. At November 15, 2007 4:33 PM, Ade wrote:
I agree with Geoff, its definitely pointing to the fulfilment of the Bible. This cannot be stopped i guess, but who needs these cards? We have this "all seeing" society running so many things and having so much control over what we can and cannot do at the moment. It says yes when it wants and no when it deems fit ..... is this liberty? I wonder
10. At November 19, 2007 2:53 AM, William Rist wrote:
Don't worry, prophecy is being fulfilled and God will raise up
the right people to do his mission. God is going to put a major dent into the Fedaral Reserve. What a bunch of pagan
thieves, trying to make money off the backs of the American people. WAKE UP !!! Federal Reserve, God is going to bring down his "WRATH" and then you will go into total silence crying wolf.
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1. At November 9, 2007 2:42 PM, alastair wrote: