In-Person Smartphone Payments? No Thanks, Most Say

Who is interested in using a smartphone to make in-person payments? Not all that many people, but those who are tend to be younger people who already own a smartphone, says a Harris Interactive survey released in November 2013.

In the poll, 2,577 U.S. adults were asked, "How interested are you in being able to use your smartphone to process in-person payments via tapping a special receiver, rather than using cash or payment cards?"

The poll found only tepid enthusiasm for the idea, with 56% of all respondents expressing little or no interest. Just one in four -- 24% -- said they were somewhat or very interested. The rest weren't sure. No segment of the population had a majority in  favor of smartphone payments, though owners of smartphones came closest, with 37% expressing interest.

Age made a big difference in how interested people were. Among those ages 18-35, the youngest cohort measured, 35% were favorably inclined toward in-person smartphone payments. People 67 and older showed the least interest, at 12%.

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