Using smart phones and mobile devices for contactless payments is risky in FECs, says automated money systems solutions provider Intercard.
With many FECs and arcades beginning to reopen, sanitation and hygiene become vital and the company is offering free educational materials for venues to call attention to the risks.
“Guests are taking an unnecessary risk of exposure to Covid-19 by paying with mobile phones at an arcade,” said Scott Sherrod, CEO at Intercard. “Informing consumers that credit cards and game cards are less likely to spread germs and viruses than mobile phones is crucial as operators get ready for a return to business.”
The slogan being used by Intercard in its campaign is “Pay It Safe” and it features on artwork the company is making available free to all amusement operators so that they can warn guests about the greater risks of using cell phones and mobile devices for payment. Operators can print Pay It Safe posters to display in their facility and post the message on websites.
Intercard emphasises that medical experts have highlighted the risk of germs and virus transmission by mobile devices.
“Mobile phones are like an organ of your body,” said Canadian microbiology specialist Jason Tetro, author of The Germ Files, in a press interview. “So you have to think of it in the same way that you would think of your hands or feet or something along those lines. The risk is really high that a contaminated phone could lead to you having exposure.”
