Amazon's latest innovation to pay in the US is to use cash – Companies – Economy

Amazon's latest innovation for online paymente is paying with cash, allowing its US customers to use a mechanism that is already enabled in 19 other countries.

This system is called "Amazon PayCode" and is an option enabled in association with the Western Union shipping and payment firm for which customers must go to one of the 15,000 branches, at no additional cost, Amazon said in a statement.

"We are constantly innovating to improve the shopping experience for our consumers and we are proud to expand 'Amazon PayCode' to customers in the United States, "said Ben Volk, head of the company's payments division.

This new Amazon service adds to a similar system that allows customers to buy gift cards or payment coupons at 7-Eleven stores and the CVS pharmacy network.

"Customers have told us that they like the convenience of paying in cash. Together with Western Union, we can offer consumers more options, allowing them to pay for their purchases online in a way that is convenient for them, "the company said.

This announcement comes at a time when worldwide The tendency to set aside cash grows and when new payment technologies emerge, such as facial recognition. Some activists claim that this trend has a negative impact on people without access to the financial system and that it could also affect the privacy of individuals.

Amazon said data from the Federal Reserve of San Francisco showed that 77% of payments in the United States in 2018 were performed in person and that the
Cash represents 39% of the volume.

AFP