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Venmo also allows using QR codes quite easily (tap "Scan" on the home screen and then scan a code or tap "Venmo me" to show your code), but for some reason many

Venmo also allows using QR codes quite easily (tap "Scan" on the home screen and then scan a code or tap "Venmo me" to show your code), but for some reason many users don't seem to know that and end up trying to look people up by their username instead. I think it's because QR codes really never caught on in the US.

seanmcdirmid 5y ago
QR codes are clumsy and inconvenient, moving to NFC was the right move for the states and most of the developed world. However, Starbucks uses QR codes for its app if you pay in store (but you can mobile order and not pay in store at all, so I rarely bother). China built its cashless system using QR codes, since it doesn't require any additional hardware beyond a smartphone and the clumsiness is just another thing you get used to over there.
- mdorazio 5y ago
  I could be misremembering since I lived in China a long time ago, but I feel like QR codes were wildly popular in Asia long before digital payments became really popular. So it probably made sense on several fronts to adopt them for payments as well (everyone already used them anyway, they're effectively free, etc.) rather than build a new system.
  - seanmcdirmid 5y ago
    I didn't think they were especially popular until they were used for mobile payments. I'm not really sure about other countries in east Asia, they tend to grow completely different ecosystems from China.
- chupchap 5y ago
  > QR codes are clumsy and inconvenient May be, but at least all smartphones have a camera. Same can't be said about NFC.
  - seanmcdirmid 5y ago
    Yes, that’s why the Chinese chose the technology. Whereas America was already used to POS’s everywhere, and square makes relatively affordable receiver NFC POS hardware for phones.
lights0123 5y ago
They absolutely did in my US city during the pandemic—every restaurant at least temporarily only provided menus via QR codes at the front.

seanmcdirmid 5y ago

QR codes are clumsy and inconvenient, moving to NFC was the right move for the states and most of the developed world. However, Starbucks uses QR codes for its app if you pay in store (but you can mobile order and not pay in store at all, so I rarely bother). China built its cashless system using QR codes, since it doesn't require any additional hardware beyond a smartphone and the clumsiness is just another thing you get used to over there.

mdorazio 5y ago
I could be misremembering since I lived in China a long time ago, but I feel like QR codes were wildly popular in Asia long before digital payments became really popular. So it probably made sense on several fronts to adopt them for payments as well (everyone already used them anyway, they're effectively free, etc.) rather than build a new system.
- seanmcdirmid 5y ago
  I didn't think they were especially popular until they were used for mobile payments. I'm not really sure about other countries in east Asia, they tend to grow completely different ecosystems from China.
chupchap 5y ago
> QR codes are clumsy and inconvenient May be, but at least all smartphones have a camera. Same can't be said about NFC.
- seanmcdirmid 5y ago
  Yes, that’s why the Chinese chose the technology. Whereas America was already used to POS’s everywhere, and square makes relatively affordable receiver NFC POS hardware for phones.

lights0123 5y ago

They absolutely did in my US city during the pandemic—every restaurant at least temporarily only provided menus via QR codes at the front.