Why I love paying by text

Bristol Pound member and guest blogger Richard Hancock was sceptical of paying by text at first but now he’s really enjoying it… despite his ten year old Nokia.

When I first heard about the Bristol Pound I thought it sounded a great idea. Keep money circulating in the local economy, support local independent businesses­ what’s not to like?

I thought I would just use the notes. I’m not a particular fan of mobile phones. In fact at that time I didn’t usually carry one. Carry my phone with me do my shopping? Get out of here!

As it turns out, I love paying by text. Why?

1. It’s more convenient ­ I don’t have to get organised and remember to change currency. My NHS employers now pay some of my salary into my Bristol Pound account. Getting them to do this turned out to be surprisingly easy.

2. There’s a definite feel-good aspect to doing the texting. Knowing the transaction is going through a local system rather than being skimmed by Visa or whoever.

3. To my astonishment, it enriches the purchasing relationship. The people who I deal with know me better – ‘Hello Richard’ etc. I didn’t think I would notice or care, but I do.

As a result of my enthusiasm I now carry my phone with me (a 10 year old PAYG Nokia dumb phone since you ask). The system isn’t perfect, what is, but definitely a positive experience.

Paying by text. ­You know it makes sense.

To find out more about paying by text, visit: http://bristolpound.org/howtxt2pay