In Urban China, Cash Is Rapidly Becoming Obsolete

Re:In Urban China, Cash Is Rapidly Becoming Obsolete by angled on Sunday July 16, 2017 @11:47PM (#14785515)

Where I see the cashless innovation failing deliver is where there is a state-owned enterprise providing a service. I was in Shenzhen on the weekend and had to use cash to pay for a one-time use token to catch the subway. Lining up to pay took a good 20 minutes by itself.

The Shenzhen subway seems like an exact copy of Hong Kong's MTR, which uses the excellent and ubiquitous Octopus system. The MTR is its own entity and allowed to play favourites (or enable monopolistic behaviour).

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Re:In Urban China, Cash Is Rapidly Becoming Obsolete by isostatic on Monday July 17, 2017 @01:26AM (#14785886)

I've used the metro in NYC and Washington DC this week, and will do in LA tomorrow. Strangely I couldn't just wave my phone or credit card at the barrier like I do in (state-run) London - had to actually buy something to get on board. It's almost as archaic as the (private run) busses in the UK.

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Re:In Urban China, Cash Is Rapidly Becoming Obsolete by larrysalibra on Monday July 17, 2017 @03:11AM (#14786285)

NYC Subway & DC metro are state run...

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Re:In Urban China, Cash Is Rapidly Becoming Obsolete by urethrafranklin on Monday July 17, 2017 @08:01AM (#14787679)

Actually neither London Underground nor MTA are technically state run.

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