i have yet to use one of these digital wallets but i would imagine a large part of it is “because everyone around me is doing it.” not necessarily herd mentality but the social shift of it making checkout processes faster so if you’re using cash or a card, you’re inconveniencing the people in line behind you (however rational that may be is another topic).

i live in a semi-rural area and have seen very few instances of someone paying with their phone. it’s so rare here, i’m not even sure how the process works. tap to pay with a card has only recently been more normalized here. however, when i travel for work to big cities, it seems like the only times cards are used is when there is a large group meal at a fancier restaurant.

i also carry a small amount of cash in case my card fails or a card machine is down but it’s very rare to see cash used here as well, except for personal payments. even then, third party pseudo-bank apps are consuming that process (cashapp, venmo, etc.).

i’m not trying to justify any of these payment processes or mark one as better than the others. it’s just an observation.