For those of us who still remember working retail jobs, and having to slide-press credit card receipts by hand, the move from cash to check to credit card has been a slow evolution. So, how quickly can we really expect the next one to happen? You know, the move to strictly digital payments.
Well, Starbucks lets you pay via phone. Jack Dorsey, of Twitter fame, is trying to push personal mobile payments via Square. Paypal’s getting in on this. So, when’s the first fast food joint or grocery retailer going to join in? Some digital prophets claim that it’s the gift card industry that is going to lead this revolution. E-gifting is a popular choice for the lazy and unthoughtful.
And companies love offering them because they’re not always used, and it’s straight profit for them. So, digital gift cards may just be the gateway the industry needs.