Society is becoming increasingly cashless and the humble street performer is now the latest part in a cashless society as London launched the first scheme for contactless busker payments. The project was officially launched in late May 2018 by the city's mayor, Sadiq Khan, and was developed in collaboration with Busk London and iZettle, a Swedish payment firm. The contactless busker payments initiative will begin its rollout with a few select performers, who will all be equipped with iZettle’s contactless readers and will be spread out across London's 32 boroughs.
The iZettle readers will need to be connected to a smartphone and will accept payments of fixed amounts set by the performer. The system will work with all contactless cards, phones and even smartwatches. The contactless busker payments systems are currently being given to select performers, but there has been no news on how all buskers can get their hands on the system.
Contactless Busker Payments
London Recently Introduced a New System for Paying Buskers
Trend Themes
1. Contactless Payments - The introduction of contactless busker payments highlights the growing trend of cashless transactions in society.
2. Mobile Payment Solutions - The use of iZettle's contactless readers connected to smartphones demonstrates the trend of using mobile devices for payments.
3. Digital Disruption in Street Performing - The contactless busker payments scheme disrupts traditional street performing by enabling performers to accept electronic payments.
Industry Implications
1. Payment Technology - The contactless busker payments initiative presents opportunities for payment technology companies to develop specialized solutions for street performers.
2. Mobile Technology - The use of iZettle readers connected to smartphones highlights the potential for mobile technology companies to cater to the needs of performers and consumers.
3. Entertainment Industry - The digital disruption in street performing opens up opportunities for the entertainment industry to explore new revenue streams and enhance the overall experience for performers and audiences.