Image credit – iZettle
Musicians performing by the side of the road, in the subway, in cafes, and so on usually take tips in the form of small change. However what if you really liked the performance but did not have any spare change to give in terms of tips? Over in London, it seems that you might no longer have an excuse not to tip a musician.
This is because the city of London has partnered with iZettle in a project called Busk in London where they are trialing out the ability for street performers to accept contactless cards in terms of payment. What this means is that if you see a performer you like and want to tip them, you have the option of using cash or using a contactless card system as buskers will get a terminal in which users can enter the amount they wish to give, and tap their cards against it to make the payment.
The system is currently in trial and according to full-time busker Charlotte Campbell who has been trialling the system, “I believe if street performers like myself don’t adapt to the cashless society we are edging towards, we’re at risk of becoming a dying art. I’ve only trialled Repeat Payments for two weeks and it’s already had a significant impact on the contributions I’ve received. More people than ever tap-to-donate whilst I sing, and often, when one person does, another follows.”
So far the system has been rolled out to London’s 32 boroughs and there are more planned in the coming months.
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