I agree with this. After entering my card into Toast once, now from any restaurant I can scan the code, enter my tip amount and I'm done. So much better than using either cash or a card.

Just the time saving in not having to flag down a waiter to get the bill is great!

Similarly the online ordering for pickup sites that have sprung up to power the “non-DoorDash/Uber” option that restaurants want you to use. I like them, I like the usually not-inflated prices, but wish they would (A) be a fast, simple UI that works, and (B) stick to Apple/Google Pay and ask for no other info. No I don’t want to create a password or sign up for your newsletter!

Why would we do QR code payments in a world where NFC payment flows exist and are well established?

iPhones can only do what Apple allows developers to do, which isn’t much.

A random payment provider can’t use NFC on the iPhone, but they can use the camera. So here we are. QR payments are super popular all over Asia (and yes they suck, but you can blame Apple)

The QR code is physically attached to the table and links directly to the menu and/or your bill. QR codes are cheap (any printer can print one) so don't need special equipment. And people already understand how to use QR codes: they might not understand what an NFC tag/beacon is, or it might not work with all devices.

What would NFC add that you can't do with a QR code?

(Use of a QR code doesn't preclude paying in the normal way by calling over a server and using a contactless payment terminal. It just gives you the option to skip that and pay directly from your device.)