| General > General Technical Chat |
| Cheques being phased out in Australia by 2030 |
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| AndyBeez:
The raised numbers on payment cards are disappearing. They are no longer needed as the United States has finally ceased using carbon impression foils - remember them from the early 1980s? The same might happen for the magnetic stripe, but using PIN or RFID readers will cost the Ma & Pa stores far too many dollars to convert to these new fangled machines that don't have mice running around inside them. So card skimmers still have another 25 years. Missing the raised numbers is actually rather unhelpful for people who are partially sighted or, just grew up with the texture and feel of a bank card. Another trend for trendy banks is to make all of their bank cards black. Not good in limited lighting or on bright days in wallets or handbags. Worse, there are no numbers on these 'hip' cards, instead there is a small logo and tiny text saying 'credit' or 'debit'. Clearly these are designed by millennial nerfs who just ask Siri to Apple Pay for everything. |
| Halcyon:
--- Quote from: CatalinaWOW on October 11, 2023, 05:04:05 pm ---I personally don't see how authorizing via the smartphone is faster than tapping a smartcard on the reader. --- End quote --- For me, it's less about speed (we're talking a second or two difference) and more about the convenience of not having to carry a wallet around anymore. Either way, I usually have my phone or card ready to go even before the cashier has pushed the "make terminal work" button. It's just less crap to carry around in my pockets, lose, forget, misplace, etc... There are pros and cons to each approach. The phone is more secure for a start (no one can just pick it up and go spending without my password or fingerprint) and because I use Google Wallet, it uses a "virtual" card number (i.e.: My actual linked card number is never revealed). It also means it can't be skimmed, copied or read, even if I lost my phone. Of course, cards don't require charging or power, and will continue to work even after they've been through the washing machine (my wallet as been washed a handful of times). That being said, because of my own habits, I've never been caught somewhere with a dead phone. Worst case scenario, I have a charger that lives in the car if I was desperate for a charge. At the day, each to their own. Taking away cheque payments still leaves a handful of other options available for fast and secure payments. I'm the last person to push people onto "apps" when they don't want to. |
| tggzzz:
--- Quote from: Halcyon on October 11, 2023, 10:55:13 pm ---There are pros and cons to each approach. The phone is more secure for a start (no one can just pick it up and go spending without my password or fingerprint) and because I use Google Wallet, it uses a "virtual" card number (i.e.: My actual linked card number is never revealed). It also means it can't be skimmed, copied or read, even if I lost my phone. Of course, cards don't require charging or power, and will continue to work even after they've been through the washing machine (my wallet as been washed a handful of times). That being said, because of my own habits, I've never been caught somewhere with a dead phone. Worst case scenario, I have a charger that lives in the car if I was desperate for a charge. --- End quote --- My cellphone survives being in my trouser pocket next to my keys, and being dropped 20ft/6m onto concrete. Based on what I've seen with my daughter's smartphone and a tablet, I doubt any smartphone would survive a day with me. I don't need to carry around a "heavy paperback book" with my cellphone either. --- Quote ---At the day, each to their own. Taking away cheque payments still leaves a handful of other options available for fast and secure payments. I'm the last person to push people onto "apps" when they don't want to. --- End quote --- Cheques USPs are unrelated to speed, so that's a strawman argument. A contactless payment credit/debit card is sufficient for my fast/convenient payment needs. As is cash. Just come back from a week in Meereen; paid everything (that wasn't prepaid) in cash, didn't even need to use cards. |
| Halcyon:
--- Quote from: tggzzz on October 11, 2023, 11:29:54 pm ---Cheques USPs are unrelated to speed, so that's a strawman argument. --- End quote --- It's not a strawman argument. I wasn't comparing the use of cheques for everyday payments to credit/debit cards, rather it's just a method to transfer money between accounts. My point was, if you got rid of cheques tomorrow, there is a handful of other options which could easily (and have for 99% of people and businesses) take its place. |
| CatalinaWOW:
--- Quote from: Halcyon on October 11, 2023, 10:55:13 pm --- --- Quote from: CatalinaWOW on October 11, 2023, 05:04:05 pm ---I personally don't see how authorizing via the smartphone is faster than tapping a smartcard on the reader. --- End quote --- For me, it's less about speed (we're talking a second or two difference) and more about the convenience of not having to carry a wallet around anymore. Either way, I usually have my phone or card ready to go even before the cashier has pushed the "make terminal work" button. It's just less crap to carry around in my pockets, lose, forget, misplace, etc... --- End quote --- That may work in your use case. Here, I have to have my driver's license in my possession when operating a motor vehicle, health care providers require insurance cards, and there are a handful of other things that really make a wallet necessary. If you can do without, great and good on you. Again I have no issue with how others organize their financial lives, just don't want them organizing mine. I am also like tggzzz. My lifestyle is really hard on smartphones. Over the last five years I have broken one badly enough to require repairs three times, and twice badly enough that replacement was necessary. That is even with use of an bulky protective case. An expensive accessory under these conditions, but I find it useful enough to be worth it. I can't really depend on it for financial access though. |
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