As a geek, I’m always tempted by the latest gadgets and technology. So when I first saw that I could pay for my subway fare with a Paypass, I signed up right away. I’ve had the key fob for about 6 months now and I try to use it whenever the opportunity presents itself. Early on it was only available at CVS, McDonalds and 7-11. OK, so I probably won’t use it that often. But now the readers are popping up all over the place, Petco and BJ’s for example. But I’m encountering a number of problems and I wanted to point them out to any who will listen.
The first problem occurred at a McDonalds when I tried to use the card. It asked Credit or Debit, I chose Debit and then it asked for my pin. I punched it in and it worked and I thought, well, that wasn’t much of a time saver. Next time I went back to this McDonalds, the choice was gone, and it forced credit. No pin, no signing, fast as expected. Two subsequent transactions at other McD’s did not go as smoothly. Often I find the readers are not working, or somehow disabled. Looking up at the cashier, I ask “Now what?”. They don’t know. Nobody that has these readers is trained on how to use them, what to expect when someone uses it or how to troubleshoot a broken one. There is not way to manual type in the card id. I just have to resort to cash or credit anyway.
Another problem happened today at BJ’s. The shiny new reader hat the PayPass logo and I happily waved my key fob. “Try another card” it prompted. The cashier was impressed at the technology but commented on how it would be faster if it actually worked. Not sure what happened there.
Then last week at CVS, the reader just plain didn’t work. No sign, no response and the cashier was clueless once again.

Mastercard, Paypass, Amex, whatever outfits are behind these efforts need to get these readers tested, get the merchants trained on how to use them and have the cashiers trained on what to expect when someone does use them. I envision a day where I don’t need my wallet when I leave the house, just my keys to pay for whatever I need. That day is a long ways off, as I see it…