I finally stopped hating mobile wallets after that gas station incident

I was always that guy who pulled out his physical card even when the terminal had the tap symbol. Felt like mobile wallets were just another way for banks to track my spending or whatever. Then last Tuesday I'm at a Shell station in Phoenix and my card gets declined because the chip reader is busted. The guy behind me just holds his phone up to the terminal and pays in 2 seconds while I'm fumbling with cash. He told me his Google Pay has never failed him in 3 years of daily use. I set it up that night and now I'm annoyed about all the times I held up lines for no reason. Anyone else have a random moment that made them switch over?

2 comments

2 Comments

richard_wells591mo ago

What kind of chip reader was it, the ones that take forever to verify? I had the same thing happen at a 7-Eleven in Austin. The reader was loose and kept failing the dip. Now I just tap my phone every time. One tip though, make sure NFC is on and your default card is set before you walk up. Saves you standing there like an idiot while it loads.

mason_ward1mo ago

Wait, you actually have to manually turn NFC on before using Google Pay? I thought that was automatic on most phones now. On my Pixel it just works as long as the screen is unlocked. Anyways, I had a similar moment at a diner where the waitress accidentally dropped my card under the counter and I had to crawl under the table to grab it. Meanwhile my buddy just tapped his phone and was halfway done with his coffee. Thats when I realized I was being stubborn for no reason. At least you didnt have to dig around a dusty floor for your card.