Signing & Electronic Devices

Over the past several years we are seeing a lot more commercial transactions that require your signature directly into an electronic device without the use of any paper. We're also starting to see businesses that do not accept cash. I recently when our for a couple of beers with some friends in that new brewery in the park and the first thing I noticed was the no cash sign. All transactions were done with a little electronic device attached to the counter that displayed the cost of the purchase and an option for a tip. One had to sign in the device with your finger which makes for an awkward signature.

I first saw this universal new way of doing things when we were traveling in Europe in 2018 and 2019. In most places including restaurants we were handed a little portable electronic device to process our credit cards for services including tips. We hardly needed cash anyway which was great. At the time I wondered when this would all happen at home and it didn't take very long to catch up.

I hardly ever carry much cash anymore and I can't remember the last time I paid for anything using cash. I especially like the quick and easy card transaction when getting gas. Just touch the card to the panel to make the transaction. Very easy. It's getting to be like that everywhere including stores and getting a haircut. 

I don't really need to sign many things electronically now that I'm retired but people in the workplace sign electronically all the time. There are lots of program add-ons that enable that to happen quickly with a saved electronic signature that is used for all of one's electronic documents. One can create an electronic signature and have it readily available to use over and over again for all online or electronic documents. People are signing paper documents less and less anymore.

The thing I dislike most about signing something on one of these devices is when you need to do it with a finger. My signature with a finer never looks like my real signature done with a pen. It just doesn't.