Slow payment makes shoppers wait

Here’s an example of bad time factor design, if ever there was one.

When the chip n’ pin system was introduced to Denmark in 2004, it was clear nobody had considered how long it would take for shoppers to actually use the system. Time factor had been under prioritised in the design process.

Wasted seconds

As a result, the system was almost unworkable. People had to wait between 10 and 20 seconds for the transaction to complete – precious, wasted seconds they would rather spend elsewhere.

Frustrated shoppers

Not surprisingly, consumers and retailers voted with their feet. People quickly returned to the old, magnetic strip system, which took just two to four seconds to complete a transaction. Only 1.1% of Dankort payments during the first three months of 2004 were made using the chip.

Today a new design, which completes a transaction in just a few seconds, is on the streets. Thanks to its time factor design, it’s now the preferred method of payment in Denmark.