Vote now: Do you use mobile payment?

Yesterday, as I was patiently waiting in line at the grocery store, I noticed that quite a lot of people were paying with their watches and smartphones. I thought about it while vaguely staring at the asparagus in my cart. It is actually easier to use your phone or your watch than pull a contactless credit card?

Then I decided to give it a try and set up Samsung pay on a phone and a watch. I oven-baked the asparagus with some sea salt and olive oil, ate it with pan-fried salmon and went to bed. The next morning I was off to the grocery, equipped with the latest banking technology on my wrist and in my pocket.

Using the mobile payment system at the cashier desk required some preparation, enabling the NFC (or keeping it on at all times), swiping a few times, going through a menu or two. All in all, I figured it took me a bit more time than just pulling my credit card out and waving it at the POS terminal.

I know mobile payment can be used for other things but the main thing when using it with your watch or a phone is to mitigate the need to reach out for your wallet and take out your card. And for me it’s not faster or easier, it’s the same at best.

The other thing is that you practically don’t need a wallet if you have a mobile payment system set up. It’s the next financial revolution after the demise of cash money. What about you? Do you frequently use mobile payment? Do you find it useful? What are the pros and cons of it? Vote in our poll and share your experience in the comments below.