Here’s what a merchant did with his EZ-Link payment terminal: Shelved neatly inside a glass display. Nice to look at, but not to be used. I’m guessing this merchant doesn’t want to use it at all.

There are certainly some benefits of electronic payment systems, but clearly they are not for everyone. I imagine that this EZ-Link system was provided free-of-charge to this merchant, so there are no overheads and per-transaction costs involved, but yet he’s reluctant to use it.

I think some parties are a bit too aggressive about deployment of these cash-equivalent payment systems. EZ-Link boasts 5000 merchants, twice that of NETS. I suppose EZ-Link’s numbers include these merchants who are given the terminals but who don’t use them. Perhaps their numbers are also made up by all the SBS Transit and SMRT buses.

There are places suitable for these electronic payment modes, but they aren’t suitable for all kinds of merchants out there.