POS payments for street artists to be tested in London

May 29, 2018

None of us have ever imagined that the street artists we meet on the street with their guitars could have a POS to give them their cutesy. So if most of us pay using plastic money, we will (in a few years?) be able to pay the musicians on the street with our card. At least in London it's already starting to happen through a new plan that's currently being tested in real-world conditions.

Launched this weekend by the city's mayor Sadiq Khan, the project is a partnership between Busk In London and Sweden's iZettle, which was recently acquired by PayPal for $2.2 billion. A select few artists have been testing the contactless terminals on the streets of the city in recent weeks. Khan says the project will be rolled out across 32 London neighbourhoods.

Charlote Campbell, a full-time street performer who took part in the trial, told the BBC that the new technology has boosted revenues.

The terminals must be connected to a tablet or smartphone and accept payments for specific amounts - prices set by the artist. They are compatible with contactless cards, phone devices and some smartwatches. There are no exact figures on how many terminals will be given to London artists or whether they will have to pay to get them.

Although individuals often have their own system for contactless transactions (especially in China it is not uncommon to see a street performer using a QR Code to ask for tips via smartphone), it is the first comprehensive plan led by local authorities.

"I'm thrilled that iZettle has chosen London to implement its ingenious scheme whereby artists will be able to accept donations via cards, just as they do with cash. Now, more and more Londoners will be able to show their support for talented and promising street artists", Khan said in a statement to the press.

However, there is a serious problem. Street performers will be able to adopt the new system of contactless payments. But what about the homeless who live only on coins? If cash starts to disappear from the streets altogether, then there will be an even more significant problem for a section of people.