Cash or credit? Local businesses need to adapt to everything in between

Long gone are the days where the question “cash or credit” will suffice. These days, there are plenty of ways to pay for things and West London is definitely not behind on the times.

Apple Pay and Android Pay

You can now use Apple Pay and Android Pay in the majority of shops across the UK and West London is no exception. Almost anywhere that you see the contactless logo, all you need to pay for goods and services is an up-to-date phone that’s linked to one of your cards. Perhaps the most useful way to utilise this payment type for us Londoners is across TFL services, such as local buses and the London underground. If you’re prone to heavy nights out in Hammersmith as much as you are to losing your Oyster card, the solution is to just pay with your phone. Providing it’s linked to the one card, everything will be capped accordingly. You can usually use it in bars, too – meaning you don’t have to bring your whole wallet and risk it getting lost. You might want to bring a battery pack though, just in case your phone dies.

Interac

Is there anything worse than getting stuck in traffic during peak hour? Well, not at the time there isn’t, anyway! There are plenty of ways to pass the time, but most of us by now know to turn to our phones. Casinos online may not be “local” businesses, but they sure do feel local when you can literally play them from anywhere – yep, even under that bridge you’re stuck under on the bus. The details can be found here, but the gist is that – as many now use Interac, a speedy and incredibly secure system that’s been around since the 80’s – paying for this boredom-killer couldn’t be easier.

PayPal

Is there anything you can’t pay for with PayPal these days? Well, yes, but that doesn’t mean it’s not an incredibly popular (and useful) way of paying. Consider the majority of your online shopping done and dusted thanks to this super-secure and easy way of doing transactions. In many parts of West London, shopping online doesn’t even need to mean having to wait for deliveries to arrive. Amazon Prime allows you to pay via PayPal, for example, and postcodes closer to Central (such as W6) will have guaranteed delivery within the hour. Quicker than popping out to the shops, in many cases.

Bitcoin​

“Bitcoin Stock Image” ( CC BY 2.0 ) by Crypto360

Most of us sort-of-but-not-really know about Bitcoin, but now it’s not just shrouded in a cloak of secrecy for use online. Bitcoin allows for open and honest transactions, which are visible to everyone on a public ledger. It takes out the middleman – a.k.a., the bank. If you’re a bit confused, you can read all about it in a really easy to understand format here. But once you’ve got your head around it and if you’re happy to invest – there are places across London now accepting it, from CeX in Hounslow and Tottenham Court Road to local cafes! No matter how you pay for something, pay wisely. For online accounts, keep passwords secure and hidden and, when using your phone to tap-and-pay, ensure nobody knows your PIN. Happy spending.

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