Will coronavirus force holdouts to adopt contactless payments?

Growing recognition that coronavirus can survive on hard surfaces for up to 72 hours — making it riskier to use PIN pads and touchscreens at the point of sale — is causing merchants around the world to rethink payment technology, especially at supermarkets.

Shops in Denmark are putting up signs urging customers to pay with contactless methods instead of germ-ridden cash, and government officials are encouraging people to use contactless and mobile payments to slow the spread of disease, said Kristian Sørensen, partner at Copenhagen-based Norfico, a fintech consulting firm.