TORONTO — Fifty businesses in Toronto have adopted an app that lets customers complete their transactions with PayPal. The personalized mobile app (it requires a “selfie” to confirm the user’s identity at checkout) lets a user swipe something (it’s not clear what from the media releases), and then check in to pay. The hipster barista or waiter who’s serving you will then know that that they are paying with PayPal (or you could just tell them).
Okay, this part might be cool: once you check in to pay, your name and profile photo appears on the restaurant’s payment system. Then the hipster server can identify you, take your order, confirm the amount to be paid, and charge you just by clicking on your photo. You then get an alert on your phone informing you of the amount paid and an email confirmation from PayPal. This, says PayPal, removes the hassle of storing paper receipts (like anyone keeps them anyway, unless they are expensable, then you have to figure out how to print them off your mobile device). Or you could use a tap credit card. Or you could pay cash and manage your finances better so you don’t go into debt for spending $30 a week on coffee.
