Many people don't consider their debit or credit card as a possible way to transmit infectious disease, but when you consider how many people you may hand your card to in a given day, it should seem more obvious that a bit more caution may be warranted.  Cash, too, can be a disease vector, and considering how the Chinese government both disinfected and destroyed their currency in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, it may be worth concern elsewhere as well.  While many readers here would feel cryptocurrencies solve many of these issues, there is an immediate need and people on a larger scale have not jumped on board yet.

With most people these days carrying a mobile device pre-loaded with a contactless payment system - like Apple Pay or Google Pay - many of us have a free tool just waiting to be set up and prevent the common handling of property with people we don't know.  Companies like Starbucks have had great success developing mobile payment and ordering solutions, allowing a barcode on your device to be scanned from afar, but adoption of general payment methods that can be used in retailers of various types has been slow.  The current global pandemic could be the catalyst for wider adoption. 

Please see below for information on three popular contactless payment systems, which you can use at a growing number of retailers large and small:

• How to Setup Apple Pay

• Learn about Google Pay

• Google Pay on the Google Play Store

• Learn about Samsung Pay:

• Samsung Pay on the Google Play Store

Try it out!  The more we do to prevent transmission, the quicker the world can return to normal (hopefully having learned a thing or two!)

UPDATE 5/29/2:  New related information on linking your crypto to contactless payments can be found in this new blog post.