By Mark Elliott, Division President, MasterCard, South Africa
Innovative technologies impact almost every aspect of our daily lives, from the way we communicate and manage our health to the way we pay for things. The rise of digital payments and the convergence of these technologies is the most significant development since the introduction of payment cards half a century ago.
The mobile phone is a major driver of this convergence as it’s caused a fundamental shift in consumer demand and the way that they interact with retailers. Paying for things has evolved from swiping payment cards to tapping, waving or inputting payment data into the powerful computers our smart devices have become.
This convergence of physical and digital commerce is often referred to as a futuristic concept yet it’s not futuristic at all, it’s happening now. Consumers are expecting smarter ways to pay, giving retailers the opportunity to capitalise on creating better and memorable customer experiences.
Uber is a prime example of how seamless payments create a positive customer experience. The payment process for a passenger is invisible and happens without any payment card or obvious interaction with a payment application.