Completely agree… Well, I agree it won’t be cash or cheque but maybe not necessarily by card either. In China, HK and Singapore, for example, people pay for things using WeChat Pay or Ali Pay (from Alibaba) via their mobile devices.
Which of course is what Mr Musk has seen and why his ‘Twitter 2.0’ nonsense all has stuff about payments in it.
Unfortunately of course most of the world is more likely to trust Bernie Madoff (or at least before he dropped dead obviously) with their financial information and last 50p in life, than the scummy bloke who is currently trawling the information, some of it highly sensitive, from the employees of the company he just bought and giving it to all manner of people to make public in an attempt to embarrass them and bolster his paper thin argument.
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In Thailand it’s even better. They have a QR code system. Scan it with your phone and pay directly from your bank to the vendor’s account. It’s completely free for both parties and the transaction is instant. There is no point in having a minimum sale amount.
It’s the best payment system I’ve ever seen. The card companies must loathe it.
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Oh, nice. Wasn’t aware of that. Must look into it.
P.S. welcome to the site 
Until someone steals your phone and empties your bank account 
which is possibly why they are in a “death grip” using desperate T&Cs with merchants.
indeed… 
Is it worse than someone stealing your card though? They’d still need to be able to unlock the phone to make payments.
Who charges you a fee for each transaction, the card issuer or your EPOS provider?
Always be aware of who is looking over your shoulder.
Tea leafs are adept and work in clever gangs. One stands looking over your shoulder as you pay somewhere. Then the ‘team’ follows you. One dipper gets the phone, possibly while the other asks you, the victim, something innocent. Quicktime they’re off. Hello ATM and electronics shop. Goodbye your $$$$.
If all the ingenuity and energy in Asia were refocussed from things nefarious, imagine the possibilities…
Nobody anymore, and it’s been that way for years (fixed charge) as for the rest, I get a statement of all the cards and their respective commissions at the end of each month, all handled by Crédit Agricole who were the cheapest when I did the rounds negotiating business accounts.
You seem very knowledgeable on this practice 
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Odds are twice that of winning the lottery that your lost/stolen phone can be opened by someone not knowing your codes, hacked off your forefinger or peeled off your face 
Over 30 years living in Asia.
There were even gangs coming from South America on crooked tourism to Hong Kong and Singapore where people tended have ample liquid funds and a naive sense of security.
Can’t say I’ve seen it all but I do know where to look 
Yikes! Too much The Blacklist.
No one should assume that a password gives the mobile foolproof protection. Touch and iris recognition are backed up by password input. Otherwise the genuine owner would have a problem if they injured their hand or eye.
Password protection is adequate as long as it isn’t guessable from any other info available connected to you, like in your wallet or on FB etc. And, you aren’t overlooked by someone when you key in the code, such as at Starbucks or on a crowded bus.
No need to become paranoid but it is wise to be wary.
I use my fingerprint to unlock my phone…
So do I, unless I have sometimes have cold ‘ghost finger’, then it offers password alternative. (iPhone). Don’t androids also have this workaround?
Yes, mine does - my fingerprint reader is a bit crap and probably only works 50% of the time (not an expensive phone though)
Ah yes, of course. You’re right. In fact, thinking about it, mine prompts me for a password every 72 hours regardless.
Head still stuffy with Covid so not thinking straight 
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Sorry to hear that. Get well soon and keep warm.
Indeed. Getting rid of cash would kill the black economy inc the drugs and prostitution business.
I bought a single stamp [FR > UK] the other day. My 20€ note, offered with apologies for not having anything smaller, was turned down - “I have no change” - and I was asked to pay by card.
In the days before ATMs I used to draw cash at weekends at M & S by buying something - a brolly on a sunny day, for example - paying by cheque and then returning it 10 mins later. The refund always in cash.
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