‘Twas The Night Before Payment Christmas

T’was the day before Christmas
and all through the land
The people wanted to pay
from the palm of their hand.

POS terminals were nestled all snug in their place
But iPads and tablets made shopping with haste.

From Black Friday To Christmas Eve, It’s tradition, we’re sure
That retailers wish and all hope to lure
Consumers:
online, on-mobile and in the physical store.

For them, Christmas isn’t the time for doubting and chatter,
The shopper experience is what really does matter.
When to their tablets and phones consumers fly like a flash
Armed with debit, credit and all kinds of digital cash.

The innovators, are different
They all want to know
That their digital wallets will put on quite a show,
Even if they’re not all quite ready to go.

They understand that quirks and bumps in ignition do appear
But that still, 2014 was mobile’s big year.

We all fell in love with Apple Pay so quick,
the only explanation is that it was delivered by St. Nick.

But that delivery man was awfully thin on second look –
“Hey, that’s not St. Nick, I think it’s Tim Cook.”

His sleigh was powered by Tesla, and not by reindeer
And into the night his shouting we thought we could hear

“Now, Apple! Now, Google,! Now Isis Renamed
(So for the actions of terrorists you could not be blamed)
Now MasterPass, Visa Checkout and, yeah, LoopPay too,
All compatible with the iPhones I’m bringing to you.”

To virtual checkout, to the physical store
Make it easy to pay, so the people buy more.

As dry leaves before
the wild hurricane fly
When innovators meet with an obstacle,
Piled high to the sky
So to the hand of consumers
digital wallet they flew.
Though their use rates in physical stores,
kind of still kinda fell through.

Because even with will, and all the right techs,
lots of retailers signed on with MCX
So whatever their actual preferences be,
They’re waiting till next year to take CurrentC.

But Christmas is Christmas and a time of great cheer
Cuz a whole lot of shopping still got done this year

Retailers don’t care,
if it freezes and snows.
Mobile lovers don’t care
if NFC acceptance rates are low.

Can’t use it in store,
can you use it online?
Can you start the order one place,
and pick it up elsewhere just fine?

Is it easy, and fast and made to use on the go?
And will the data be protected from those I don’t know?

Early adopters will try something cause it is neat.
Normal people will use it if you give them a treat.
Because consumers have to believe it’s fantastic,
Since it’s pretty easy to just keep using their plastic.

Most merchants take cards, they’re so easy to use.
It is the easier option for consumers to choose.

But perhaps mobile payments,
can be given a lift
By the things it delivers,
as its unique gifts.

Tokens make data much harder to steal,
A threat 2014 illustrated as real.

And combined with rewards programs,
mobile’s a good vessel
To help merchants make consumers,
feel like they’re something special.
So as 2014 passes well into the night,
and 2015 comes forward within all our sights.
It’s time to stop reading and start spending money
The retailers need us – and we’re not being funny!

If we do, there’s no doubt we’ll hear them exclaim
Merry mobile to all – we want to be in the payments hall of fame.