I’ve always been resistive of online ordering in restaurants like chili’s or McD’s human sized kiosk menus, I just think it’s faster to order directly, wherever.

About retail automation: Is it ready for prime time?

Someone merchant’s idea of how to buy anything automatically while out and about at some brick and mortar anything has to be modeled, designed, and implemented. Many times automated paying systems IMO will probably unnecessarily throw in a slight maze of other goals in their systems, like ‘hello fine customer would you mind signing up for auto-buying-club system card and get a 10% discount today?’ (sounds like the old cc system) In other words would you kindly donate your valuable time to do our marketing for us? And other shady data goings on.

I have to admit Apple has the best system of auto-pay tokening where accepted as they have implemented more carefully over time, plus they have our Apple ID info. The downside might be to get the full 9 yards of Apple’s auto-pay benefits regarding ones time and convenience, ergo it’s best to be locked into the Apple ecosphere. So maybe have the infamous iPhone, and their clever watch, etc. Kind of pricey but works extremely well at participating vendors.

Years ago I got into Google pay and of course as far as consumer products go Google has trouble locating their backside let alone what they are pulling out of that place. I only used it online usually at the google store (which is really the same as a cc). I also use apps on android that use simple codes like at coffee shops, (btw don’t tell anyone what coffee shop app I might be using because we boomers are considered very un-woke and part of the problem, and not the solution, whatever that is. That logo is green, shhhhh)

In the meantime I don’t think I’ll be lugging around my iMac and asking clerks at checkout if they have a handy power plug so I can tap their invoice screens, no don’t think that is going to happen, ever.