High-tech begging
Among those whose earnings have been hit by a cashless society: panhandlers.
In India, panhandlers don't settle for pennies in a hat. They have QR codes, which are good for business. According to The Wall Street Journal, India's beggars often wear a lanyard with a QR code around their necks. That way, charitable givers who don't have a few rupees in cash can simply scan the code with their phones and donate.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, one such man said his donations have doubled to about $4 per day (300 rupees) since he started using a QR code, the wages of a farmhand.
Even street vendors have introduced QR codes.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.