The COVID-19 pandemic hastened digital transformation across all industries. A recent study by financial services firm Visa saw the willingness of consumers to use their mobile phones for digital payments. This may have been spurred by fear of contracting the highly contagious virus that causes COVID-19.

The Visa Asia Pacific (APAC) Tap to Phone study was conducted by YouGov research between 16 to 20 July 2020, among 6,832 adults ages 18+ in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Taiwan.

Tap to Phone enables establishments to accept Visa contactless payments directly on their own Android NFC-enabled smartphones, eliminating the need for a separate point-of-sale terminal.

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Ease of use

New research from Visa found that the majority (55%) of APAC consumers would likely use Tap to Phone payments, despite solutions not yet being widely available in the region. Consumer interest is strongest in Malaysia (64%), followed by Taiwan (62%), Hong Kong (62%), and India (55%). The research suggests that as Tap to Phone solutions are introduced in the Asia Pacific, consumers will embrace this new form of the contactless payments they are already accustomed to using.

“Asia Pacific has led the world in adopting contactless payments, which now account for around 44% of face-to-face Visa transactions in the region, climbing to over 70% in a number of key markets,” said Chris Clark, regional president, Asia Pacific, Visa. “For micro and small businesses, Tap to Phone is a cost-effective way to accept Visa and enjoy the benefits of digital commerce.”

Sellers are not the only one seen to benefit from these new findings. The ease of using the smartphone, which is something people cannot leave their homes without, tops (52%) the key benefits for consumers. This was followed by saving time (51%) and eliminating the need to carry cash (50%).

“The consumer experience with Tap to Phone payments is very similar (to other types of contactless payments), including the security features,” Clark said.

Security

Forty-three percent (43%) of consumers rated security as a factor that would encourage their adoption of tap to phone payments.

Visa’s research also looked at where consumers would be most likely to pay via tap to phone. Convenience stores were cited by 59% of survey participants, reflecting the desire for quick, easy transactions. Over half (56%) said they would want to be able to pay at a restaurant while seated at the table. Food courts, street stalls and kiosks were the third most popular venue at 52%.

Visa and its partners have launched Tap to Phone solutions in Malaysia and India, with more APAC markets to follow in the coming months.