My phone died at a pop-up dinner and I had to pay with a watch

I was at a new pop-up dinner spot in Austin last month that only took digital payments. My phone battery hit zero right when the $78 check came. The waiter pointed to a sign about their 'cashless future' and I panicked. Luckily, my smartwatch still had a charge so I paid through that app. It worked, but the whole thing felt like a test run for a trend that might leave people behind. Has anyone else been stuck when a place goes fully digital?

4 comments

4 Comments

leo_johnson1mo ago

Smooth save? Tell that to my grandpa who still writes checks, davis.olivia. The "faster and cleaner" part only works if your tech doesn't fail and you can afford it. What happens when the network goes down or someone's phone breaks? It feels less like progress and more like a new way to shut people out.

davis.olivia1mo ago

Honestly, that sounds like a pretty smooth save to me. Tbh, going cashless just makes things faster and cleaner for everyone.

wendy_henderson2110d ago

Remember that huge power outage in Queens last summer? Every store with a card reader just shut down for hours. My corner bodega was the only place open because the owner kept a cash drawer. How is a system that fails when the power blinks "cleaner" for everyone? It just seems like we're trading real problems for shiny new ones that leave people stuck.

skyler_robinson21mo ago

My local bakery just added a card minimum, so now I have to buy two croissants instead of one. Feels like a sneaky way to push people into spending more.