Consumer Experience at the Contactless Point-of-Sale
Publication Date: April 2022
MTA’s recent launch of OMNY¹ and initiatives from several large financial institutions to offer contactless cards are evidence of the growth of contactless adoption in the U.S. As more opportunities arise to tap to make a payment, clear communication at the point of sale (POS) is needed to indicate that contactless cards and devices are accepted. The U.S. Payments Forum is helping issuers and merchants to improve the consumer experience at the POS with a new resource describing best practices for contactless acceptance.
This guide discusses common contactless POS challenges and best practices including:
- Communicating to consumers that a merchant accepts contactless payments through clear and consistent signage.
- Prompting consumers when and where to tap during transaction.
- Familiarizing cashiers with how to properly execute a contactless transaction based on the merchant’s implementation and to help consumers as they transact.
- Creating a seamless consumer transaction flow with clear communication that a consumer’s card was read and whether the transaction was approved or declined.
Please note: The information and materials available on this web page (“Information”) is provided solely for convenience and does not constitute legal or technical advice. All representations or warranties, express or implied, are expressly disclaimed, including without limitation, implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose and all warranties regarding accuracy, completeness, adequacy, results, title and non-infringement. All Information is limited to the scenarios, stakeholders and other matters specified, and should be considered in light of applicable laws, regulations, industry rules and requirements, facts, circumstances and other relevant factors. None of the Information should be interpreted or construed to require or promote the establishment of any solution, practice, configuration, rule, requirement or specification inconsistent with applicable legal requirements, any of which requirements may change over time. The U.S. Payments Forum assumes no responsibility to support, maintain or update the Information, regardless of any such change. Use of or reliance on the Information is at the user’s sole risk, and users are strongly encouraged to consult with their respective payment networks, acquirers, processors, vendors and appropriately qualified technical and legal experts prior to all implementation decisions.
¹ MTA’s new contactless fare payment system