Handy coronavirus prevention: 600,000 Czechs are already using contactless Apple Pay
Last month, it has been a year since the revolutionary contactless payments through Apple Pay were launched in the Czech Republic. This instant payment method has already appealed to over 600,000 people and it'scurrently gaining even more attention as the coronavirus keeps spreading. The fact is you can't disinfect money and contactless payments are a handy prevention.
It is very fast and easy - you place your iPhone or watch (instead of a credit card) on the payment terminal and the payment is made automatically. What used to be stuff of a sci-fi movie is now a common reality available to everyone.
Apple Pay became popular with hundreds of thousands of Czechs almost immediately after launch
Banks have gradually began to offer Apple Pay, which only confirms its popularity. 18 of them have already jumped on the train, with no well-known institution missing. Similarly, the number of shops, restaurants and other enterprises that enable the customers to use this method of payment is exponentially growing.
Most of the biggest enthusiasts are young people between 17 and 22, who are in the lead in the number of payment transactions. But in terms of the amount of money paid, the generation of people aged 39-47 is well ahead. That makes sense, because after all, its members tend to have money to spend.
Interest will continue to rise due to the epidemic
With the growing coronavirus epidemic and the spread of COVID-19, contactless mobile payments are expected to become even more popular. It is thanks to them that it's possible to cleverly eliminate the possibility of transmitting the disease through money, which is being touched by thousands of people per.
Coronavirus is an airborne disease and, much like the flu, it can be spread by touch. Coins and banknotes play the same role as handshakes, door handles or public transport buttons (Prague public transport, for example, started to open all doors at each station automatically in both the subway and the trams). Unfortunately, money cannot be disinfected even with an antibacterial gel.
Setting up Apple Pay is very easy and the instructions will be provided directly by your bank, and it can also be viewed on the official Apple website. And if you don't have any Apple device, you don't have to despair. Google offers a competitive and practically comparable alternative. Its service is called Google Pay and can be used on Android mobile phones.
