TRENDING: Buskers Add mPOS To Their Act

For street performers who swallow fire or twist into contortions, not getting hurt might seem like their biggest concern.

But, increasingly, buskers are facing a new hurdle, one that threatens their income rather than their bodies. The problem? With more consumers turning to mobile and card-based payments, few carry cash that can be spared for tips. To keep getting paid, buskers are turning to mobile point of sale (mPOS) solutions that can enable them to accept money from passersby on the fly.

But that’s not the only industry turning to mPOS to solve emerging payment problems. In the March edition of the mPOS Tracker , PYMNTS highlights how, from grocers to airport terminals, mPOS technology is spreading to a variety of niches.

Around the mPOS World

At airports around the world, mPOS is helping on-the-go consumers.

One of the latest solutions to take off came from South Africa’s FlySafair. The airline announced its new in-flight mPOS system, which enables cash-free refreshment purchases on all flights. The airline has become the first low-cost carrier in the country to do so.

Meanwhile, back on the ground, mPOS is helping consumers get going in the first place. Google swept headlines with the launch of its Google Pay digital payment platform. Under the latest rollout, Android users in Portland, Oregon and Kiev, Ukraine can use the company’s payment app to access local transit systems.

And for travelers who want to pay with cryptocurrency wherever they go, the search for where it is accepted is being simplified. A map app released by GRAFT, a POS solutions provider, is designed to help consumers find merchants, at home and abroad, that accept digital currencies.

For the full scoop and more of the latest mPOS headlines and trends, download the Tracker.

Street Performers Turn to Digital Tips

But an increase in digital payment acceptance means consumers aren’t carrying cash like they used to, and that can leave some street performers with emptier tip jars – and with questions of how much longer this line of work can remain viable.

While retailers may have made the leap to electronic POS, a juggler or human statue can’t always break their act to take a card swipe. Nor are they likely to convince an entire crowd to line up and take turns dipping cards – which means a different solution is in order.

In this month’s feature story, PYMNTS spoke with Nick Broad, co-founder of The Busking Project, to discuss this pain point, and how the organization aims to alleviate it with an mPOS solution tailored to the busking workstyle.

“Among the issues universal to all buskers everywhere [is] … the fact that people are carrying less cash than they ever have been,” Broad said.

Find the full story, and a provider directory of major players in the space, in the March mPOS Tracker .

About the Tracker

The PYMNTS mPOS Tracker  is your go-to resource for staying up-to-date on a month-by-month basis. The Tracker highlights the contributions of different stakeholders, including institutions and technology coming together to make this happen.