Wednesday 31 July 2013

payWave goodbye to quick checkout at NTUC FairPrice

I once saw this ad in the cinema about how using the Visa payWave card allows you to "fly through" the checkout lane at the supermarket.



I decided to try it at the Sun Plaza NTUC FairPrice yesterday, mainly because I wanted the free bread I can get by using payWave if I'm charging over $30.



The cashier asked which kind of bread I wanted. I said "the green one", which is the wholemeal bread, since I'm (ahem) health-conscious and it costs more ($1.65) than "the orange one", ie white bread ($1.25).

I soon regretted my decision.

The cashier didn't have any bread at her counter. So she went around asking for bread from the other cashiers, but they had only white bread.

My cashier then disappeared into the supermarket, leaving me stranded at her counter with my groceries and a growing line of shoppers waiting to pay. The woman behind me made it a point to look at her watch.

Dammit, I should've said the orange one.

My cashier eventually returned, carrying a few loaves of bread, both green and orange. Finally! I thought, I was on my way.

But then she had to find a voucher for the free bread in her cashier's drawer, scan the barcode on the voucher and rubberstamp the voucher. Despite her commendable speed, every move seemed to take an eternity.

I refrained from looking at the woman behind me to see if she's checking her watch again.

When it finally finally came time for me to actually pay, I realised I may not have the right card.

Oh my god, I was going to cause a riot.

Over a loaf of bread




Fortunately, my UOB Visa card worked. I fled the supermarket relatively unscathed.

All that just to save $1.65.

Damn you, Visa payWave! Your commercial lied to me!

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