Nowadays, people tend to pay by mobile phone when they purchase in many countries. While some people think that paying by cellphone has drawbacks, I believe this trend is beneficial in many aspects.
Undoubtedly, there are several disadvantages of paying by cellphone. Firstly, due to the complex function of smartphone, it is hard for elders to use cellphone, therefore most old people prefer using cash rather than phone. For instance, people usually need to go through 5 set-up steps before they use Alipay to pay, which is one of the biggest payment platform in China, sometime the procedure is so confusing that even young people can not handle it. Secondly, many people may concern about data and personal privacy safety. They believe sellers would collect their consuming data and push advertisement aimed on them, and the data may be leaked to the third-part. At last, it is hard to use cellphone while the signal is poor, they can only use cash in this case.
But on the other hand, paying by cellphone is pretty convenient and efficient, which has deeply changed the way that people pay. People just need to scan their phones while they are purchasing, which is much faster than traditional pay method. At the same time, people can pay by themselves without cashier. In China, many people used to pay by Alipay or wechat pay, which has improved pay efficient in most supermarkets and shop malls. Also, people do not fear of their money pack be stolved because they do not need to take money. Lastly, some people would like the payment platforms to record their pay history, and they can easily access their e-statements on these platforms, it is clear to review the amount they paid and adjust their consuming habits.
In conclusion, although paying by mobile phone is not suitable for all the people, but in my opinion, as a revolvotionalized pay method, it has brought more positive impact on our lives.