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> It takes about 40 seconds to buy something with a physical credit card, compared to just 30 seconds to buy it with a smartphone. Looking at the linked paper,
by Svip 3y ago
> It takes about 40 seconds to buy something with a physical credit card, compared to just 30 seconds to buy it with a smartphone.
Looking at the linked paper, it suggests someone was able to make a cash payment in 5 seconds (see table 2). Where the closest of other methods would be a contactless card of about 21 seconds. Just have exact change in hand! Cash also has the highest time of 244 seconds.
- LtWorf 3y agoYou can prepare the exact amount in cash while you're in line. Then it's 0.
- DangitBobby 3y agoNot if you include the time for the cashier to verify the amount is correct and dismiss you.
- LtWorf 3y agoYou forget the network time for the transaction.
- DangitBobby 3y agoI didn't claim paying with credit was 0 time.
- roywiggins 3y agoThis is quite tricky if you live somewhere that charges sales tax.
- eternauta3k 3y agoHere the prices on the shelves include the tax.
- gpvos 3y agoHow so? All of Europe has sales tax, and it's not a problem. Don't the published prices include tax where you live?
- roywiggins 3y agoThe US doesn't do VAT, sales tax is applied at checkout, and isn't part of the sticker price. Part of the reason is that attempts to do VAT or some other system that would incorporate the tax into the sticker price are accused of trying to hide taxes and "trick" people into not being mad about having to pay taxes. And it probably works, too- every time you check out you get a little reminder about your state's sales tax rates. (VAT is a bit different from the way the US-style sales tax for other reasons: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value-added_tax https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value-added_tax )
- gpvos 3y agoThanks. American logic is weird in so many ways. Publishing a price without including tax to consumers is forbidden here since it's misleading.
- devilbunny 3y agoIt's because it varies so much from place to place. Sales tax (possibly on certain items only!) can vary hugely just from crossing a street, because you crossed a municipal, county, or even state boundary (there are numerous examples of this last one, such as Kansas City, Kansas vs Missouri, or Bristol, Tennessee vs Virginia, where the state line runs down the middle of the street).
- LtWorf 3y agoIf you can calculate it at the till, you can calculate it when putting a sticker on the shelf.
- devilbunny 3y ago
- LtWorf 3y agoYou are confusing "misleading stickers" and "sales tax" I think
- jeffbee 3y agoThese days it's more like five minutes while the kid calls the assistant manager over to teach them how to count money. Paying cash today is about as convenient as paying with giant stone coins.
- lxgr 3y agoMake sure to bring vast amounts of coins in an organized way that lets you retrieve them in time!
- sidewndr46 3y agoI'm not really sure it matters when you spending a few minutes waiting in line anyways
- lolinder 3y ago> Just have exact change in hand! Easy enough in places that incorporate tax into the list price, but this is next to impossible in the US. You'd have to know what the city, county, and state sales taxes add up to (accounting for any products that have a different sales tax than others!) and then do the math with the weirdly specific percentage(s) that results (again, taking into account that some items are taxed differently!) to come up with your exact change. Try doing that with a week's worth of groceries.