Switching to contactless: Ways to practising “payment distancing”

The spread of COVID-19 in the last few months has seen everyone trying to minimize contact points and practice social distancing. This has led to dramatic shifts in consumer behavior, from staying home more frequently and stepping up hygiene practices to using contact-free options when out on essential grocery runs.
With the need to stay “touch-free” now more than ever, here are some simple ways to get your day-to-day tasks done safely with minimal contact and peace of mind:
Go contactless when grocery shopping
In addition to wearing a mask and washing hands, one simple way to reduce contact between people and surfaces is to use tap-and-go payment options. With contactless cards, you have complete control of your card at all times, without ever needing to hand it to the cashier or touch a payment terminal.
In fact, according to a recent Mastercard Contactless Study, the shift is already evident at the checkout counter, with nearly 9 in 10 people in Singapore using contactless payments and almost half (48%) reducing their use of cash.
You also don’t need to worry about contactless transaction limits. After all, in Singapore, the limit is S$200 per transaction – more than enough for one round of grocery shopping.
What’s more, contactless payments are up to 10 times faster than in-person payment methods, enabling you to get in and out of stores faster.
Settle bills from the comforts of your home
For those used to paying your bills at the AXS machine, there’s zero need to worry now. You can settle your bills directly from your phone with banking apps or mobile apps such as AXS, wherever you are and whenever you desire.
All you have to do is to key in your Mastercard credit or debit card details on the app to handle bill payments, fines, top-ups and eServices – all from the comfort of your home and in double-quick time.
Other apps such as DBS PayLah!, OCBC Pay Anyone, and POSB digibank can also be used to settle bills online.
Use your e-wallet if you’re out to tapau food
If you’re craving for some char kway teow or Hokkien mee but worried about handling cash at the hawker center, don’t forget to keep a lookout for the QR code on display at selected stalls.
Then all you need to do is simply scan the code using your preferred e-wallet to pay for your food.
In the last two years, due to Government initiatives to digitalise small businesses, many hawker center stalls and restaurants have resorted to having this payment option available for customers.
Use digital banking services for peer-to-peer transfers
If you’re operating a micro-business at home and need to transfer money to your suppliers or receive payment from customers, you can easily do that with digital banking services such as PayNow or GrabPay to transfer money with your mobile phone.
It’s a convenient way to transfer money without stepping out to visit a bank or an ATM.