Location: Frankfurt Airport, at a bakery stand somewhere between Terminal A and B, with a long queue behind me.
Time: Early, very early.
State of mind: In desperate need of coffee, hungry, and still mulling over the question from a rather intrusive fellow traveller on the airport shuttle train, which should have been phrased, “May I ask you a second question?”
Item purchased: A sandwich to go with my coffee (a hefty €10.25 total).
Payment method: Card (old-school plastic), but at least contactless.
Reading aid: Not on my head, but somewhere in my backpack.
Trust in technology: Exists; the amount on the NFC card reader should match the cash register display (glasses stay in the backpack).
Payment process: Card (at the correct spot!) a few centimetres above the device. No authorisation. Quizzical look to the cashier (already bagging a sandwich for the next customer). Her time-saving but unfriendly prompt: “You need to read!”
Realistic expectation: Display shows “PIN entry required”.
Secret hope of a nerd: Display finally asks me to perform an application selection pursuant to Art. 8(6) of EU Regulation 2015/751 (applies to contactless payments too).
Display reading with glasses: Prompt for a “tip” with various percentage options (e.g. 10%) and their conversion into euro amounts.
New state of mind: A mix of annoyance and puzzlement. Why tip in advance before enjoyment? Why tip in a situation that – at least for Europeans – is typically not a tipping one? Why only a tip for card payments (no tip jar on the counter)? Why artificially extend the process, thus nullifying the time savings of contactless payment?
Outcome: No surprise; I shamelessly use the “No tip” option.
Wish: Dear acquirers and network operators, this “automatic tip feature” is a nuisance in this coffee-to-go context.
Counterpoint: “If you’re in a hurry, go slowly” (Confucius).
Aftermath: PA announcement above the clouds during the in-flight service round: “You can only pay by card or using the payment apps Google Pay or Apple Pay.” Am I not still paying by card when using these apps? Was the announcement 40 years ago: “You can pay in cash or with your wallet?”
Conclusion: Even nerds need a holiday eventually!
