Forget the Checkout, Many Consumers Would Rather Pay in Line Than Wait in Line

By Kevin Woodward

It’s that time of year when shopper impatience tends to flare, especially when scores of consumers are waiting in long checkout lines. According to a new survey from merchant-services provider Harbortouch, many consumers are willing to try something new to alleviate their displeasure with lines.

A majority of the more than 1,000 consumers surveyed—44.7%—would purchase goods in line instead of waiting to get to the checkout counter. Though the survey did not ask how they would do that—whether through line-busting by store employees or such methods as mobile payments or in-app payments—most of those who would are young. Also, curiously, few are concerned about extra time at checkout brought on by EMV chip acceptance.

Of those between 25 and 34 years old, 56.8% would skip the line, followed by 18-24-year-olds, 54.2%, and 35-44-year-olds, 51.2%.

Minorities of those above 45 years old would opt for an expedited checkout. Of those those 45 to 54 years old, 44.6% would, followed by 55-64-year-olds, 29.8%, and 65 or older at 22.3%.

Most consumers—75.6%—said they do not make mobile payments using a smart phone or smart watch. Of those who have, most are 34 years old or younger, with 18-24-year-olds—38.7%—using the technology the most. Those 25 to 34 years old had the next highest use at 34.9%, with decreasing use for successive age groups. Just 11.7% of those 55 to 64 years old use mobile payments.

Curiously, mobile payments use at 22.7% to 22.8% was uniform across three U.S. regions, but consumers in the Northeast showed a greater affinity for the method, with 33.4% having used mobile payments.

Part of the reason for the low adoption rate for mobile payments may be consumer perception that payments made by swiping a magnetic-stripe credit or debit card is faster. Most—67.4%—said that was the quickest way to pay, compared with 19.4% who cited EMV chip cards, and 13.2% who said mobile payments.

The survey also found that of those consumers with concerns about using EMV chip cards, 18.2% cited the amount of time to make a transaction as a top concern, along with a lack of acceptance locations, 10.9%, and security, 4.9%. Most—66%—had no concerns about using an EMV payment card. Survey respondents all said they have chip cards.

Mobile payments use may be low now, but 33.5% of consumers expect a variety of merchants will adopt mobile payments this holiday season, potentially increasing the locations they can tap their smart phones or smart watches. Only 14.4% do not expect retailers, restaurants, entertainment venues, grocery stores, or transportation providers to adopt mobile payments in the fourth quarter.

Earlier this year, Apple Inc. chief executive Tim Cook forecast the number of Apple Pay merchant locations would reach 1.5 million by Dec. 31. Google Inc., in September, said 1 million merchant locations accepted its Android Pay mobile payment service.