What Is Touchless Payment?

Touchless payment is exactly what the name implies — it is any form of payment where the buyer does not have to run their card through any machine or terminal. More colloquially, this is known as “tap to pay,” particularly when referring to contactless credit cards. However, there are other forms of touchless payment that can be completed using a mobile device. 

Contactless payment options have been around since the 1990s. However, they rapidly grew in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic as companies and customers were both concerned about limiting exposure and contact. While reducing human contact was a key benefit, contactless cards also came with an added layer of security from the traditional chip or magnetic strip cards, which were more easily duplicated and hacked. Combined with the ease and convenience of this technology, contactless payments remain one of the most popular forms of payment for businesses, banks, and consumers.

Types of Touchless Payments 

There are several forms of touchless payment methods available today. Some of the most popular methods include: 

1. Contactless Card
2. Venmo
3. Pay by QR
4. Smartphone/Smartwatch 

Contactless Card

One of the first touchless payment options to exist was the contactless card. This method is a credit or debit card that uses RFID technology to complete transactions rather than a magnetic strip or chip. While contactless cards do have a chip, this is not the same as the chip found in chip payment credit cards. Rather, the chip emits electromagnetic pulses that allow it to communicate with the payment terminal to complete a transaction. 

Because of the direct communication between card and machine, contactless cards are twice as fast as traditional cards, making purchases smoother for both customers and sellers. This ease of purchasing provides a better experience for your customers and shows them your business cares about being up-to-date on the latest technology.

Additionally, contactless cards use unique codes on each purchase. This makes it much more difficult for a hacker to replicate the code like they would on a magnetic strip card and further protects your customers. However, like any physical card, there is still a risk of someone taking the card, and with the lack of pin code security, card theft is still a concern with contactless cards. 

Venmo 

According to Venmo’s website, “Venmo is a digital wallet that makes money easier for everyone from students to small businesses.” Essentially, Venmo is a digital platform where you can exchange money quickly and easily online. It acts as an offshoot service from PayPal with more of a social media interface. Because Venmo is completely digital, it is a great option for your business for online payment integration. With over 75 million users, a good portion of your customer base will already know about and likely use Venmo, making digital payments through it familiar and easy for them. 

With Venmo’s social media-like interface, it is a great opportunity for you to connect with your customers through online interactions. Show your appreciation by liking or commenting on a payment. Encourage emoji usage in the payment description. Offer small discounts for customers who make their transaction public to increase your visibility. There are several ways you can get creative with it and utilize Venmo’s platform to your advantage. 

One thing to be aware of when using Venmo is that for businesses, a small fee is required for each transaction. While there is a fee and there are several benefits to Venmo that may negate it, it’s an important factor to consider when deciding what type of contactless payment to offer. 

Pay by QR

One method of touchless payment that has become increasingly popular in recent years is QR (quick response) code payments. QR codes are a type of barcode that stores a link, so when someone scans the code with their smartphone, it will automatically redirect them to the page the link leads to, including payment pages. 

Because all you need to display is the code, QR payments remove the need for machinery to read cards or even the need for your customers to wait in line. Anyone can scan the code at any time and complete their payment. This streamlines the purchasing process, elevating your customers’ experiences and saving time for both your business and your customers. 

All QR codes are completely encrypted, making paying with QR codes more secure than credit cards. QR codes will also securely collect customer and transaction level data for you so that you can see the purchasing patterns for your customers. You’ll be able to see when and where customers made their purchases and how much time they spent on different pages. With this valuable information, you’ll be able to better curate to your customers and match your business plan to their purchasing habits.

Smartphone/Smartwatch 

Paying with a smartphone or smartwatch is arguably one of the most convenient versions of contactless payment available. A majority of your customers will have their mobile device on hand already, and with smart payments becoming more widespread, many of them will expect to be able to use their phone or watch. Providing this type of payment as an option will deliver an easy, faster user experience for your customers. 

Smartphone and smartwatch payments tend to be much more secure than card payments. Smartphones and watches are much less likely to be lost or stolen, so they avoid the disadvantages of having a physical card. 

For your business, you’ll also find that accepting payments via smartwatch or phone reduces the technology costs you have to spend for transactions. The hardware required for taking mobile device payments is much cheaper and needs less maintenance than the technology required for accepting card payments, saving you money in the long run. 

Integrate Contactless Payments with Your JD Edwards Payment Solutions with SmarterCommerce

If your business wants to stay up-to-date with retail technology, contactless payments are an option that you can consider utilizing for your retail payments. For JD Edwards customers with retail commerce requirements, SmarterCommerce Retail supports contactless payments for Contactless Cards, Venmo, Pay by QR, and Smartphone through our partnership with Braintree/PayPal to support contactless payments with our retail solution. To get started with offering contactless payments, reach out to our team of JD Edwards integration experts today.