Swipe, Insert, Tap?

I got a new debit card recently. Not newsworthy, I know. But it got me thinking about a simple change that could make our lives just a little easier. This new card has the tap feature. Apparently I no longer have to insert a card to complete my purchase, I simply have to tap it. I had been reticent, since I had never done it before. It wasn’t exactly empowering when I tapped for the first time yesterday. I still had to provide my PIN, just like I did when I inserted the card. Maybe it’s a few seconds faster. If they really want to make it simpler to check out, all card reading devices should be the same. Not just at every Festival or Kwik Trip, but every grocery store, gas station, and anywhere else. Because how to pay varies too much from store to store. Why can’t they all look and work the same? Like a USB plug. Find any USB outlet, it plugs right in. It’s universal. Card readers should be the same. Instead, the machines vary based on when you insert your card, how long you leave it inserted, when you punch in your PIN and even the sound it makes when the transaction is complete. It shouldn’t take an act of  Congress to get this done. It would be simple, really. But for now, I guess I will tap. Until they come up with a new way to pay.