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Yes, this is very true, _in the US_. In other parts of the world, QR Codes have been ubiquitous for many years. In China, Alipay, WechatPay, UnionPay, etc have made QR codes for payment expected and common, to the point that many places don't take cash or credit cards, but you can pay with the right phone app and account.

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Which is also annoying, since it’s pretty hard for a foreigner to set up WeChat and AliPay in China. Before covid, I had to repeatedly ask friends to pay for me, and give them cash in return.

Why do we think emulating China is a good thing? The covid response showed that it was probably the worst possible thing to do.

I didn't say that the emulating China is what should be done in this case. I much prefer the UX of Apple Pay with my watch - it still feels magical.

It is interesting how much cheaper the QR based payment schemes are in China. Payment processors in the west charge 2-3% typically for tap/dip/swipe. In China, the QR transaction fee is a fraction of that. Also, a bunch of the infrastructure for printing, displaying, and reading the QR codes is pretty cheap.

Imagine how much more magical a chip implanted under your skin would feel.

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