Square is leading the mobile payment revolution at Coachella
For all you Coachella attendees, go dust off your flower crown but leave behind your credit and debit cards. Square is the exclusive point of sale partner for all Coachella vendors in 2017, the mobile payment company announced Thursday.
That exclusive partnership (which Square declined to elaborate on how it happened and how much money is changing hands) means instead of carrying around cash, a card or having to save receipts, you can simply carry your cell phone and pay with a tap.
All you need to do is make sure your phone is charged (which is its own challenge) and set up either Apple Pay, Android Pay or whatever contactless payment system is best for your phone.
As Square showed in their promotional video, attendees can spend more time "singing the hook," "capturing the moment," and "making new friends."
Don't like contactless payments? Feel free to bring your cards. Square readers also accept those goddamn confusing chip cards. Its readers can process them in 3.6 seconds. It's just up to you to remember that they exist.
For those iPhone users who wish to Coachella on a budget, Square suggested creating a Square Cash Virtual Card for a specific amount with Apple Pay. Or, if one of your friends loves paying for things to get all the credit card reward points, you can pay them back with Square Cash. Or, just don't pay them.
Kerry Flynn is a business reporter for Mashable covering the tech industry. She previously reported on social media companies, mobile apps and startups for International Business Times. She has also written for The Huffington Post, Forbes and Money magazine. Kerry studied environmental science and economics at Harvard College, where she led The Harvard Crimson's metro news and design teams and played mellophone in the Band. When not listening to startup pitches, she runs half-marathons, plays with puppies and pretends to like craft beer.
