Visa launches Tap to Pay campaign to promote everyday contactless payments in Sri Lanka

 Country Manager for Visa in Sri Lanka and the Maldives Anthony Watson

Visa, the global leader in payments technology, has launched a new campaign ‘Tap to pay with Visa. Just like that.’ to promote contactless everyday payments in Sri Lanka. 

The campaign focuses on how the universal behaviour of tapping can become a common payment method, and showcases the simplicity of using the Visa contactless card. This new campaign emphasises the ease of use of contactless payments for low value transactions.

Commenting on the launch, Visa Group Country Manager for India and South Asia T.R. Ramachandran said, “The campaign, ‘Tap to pay with Visa. Just like that.’ is designed to drive consumer awareness of contactless payments by drawing attention to their simplicity. Through this campaign, we are trying to induce a change in consumer habit, showcasing that payments can be a lot simpler than you think.

“Visa data shows that a majority of face-to-face transactions in Sri Lanka are below Rs. 5,000, which is also the threshold for contactless transactions. We are constantly working to transform digital payments through technology and a contactless card makes such payments frictionless. The campaign brings to life the thought that a tap, a simple action we inadvertently do every day, can mean much more and can actually help make everyday payments simple.”

Commenting on the launch, Anthony Watson, Country Manager for Visa in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, says that the growth in contactless transactions for smaller purchases is indicative of a strong move away from cash for Sri Lankans. “Since the initial launch in 2016, contactless transactions have grown more than 400%; there’s considerable use of contactless cards in restaurants, retail, food and grocery shopping and entertainment segments.”

“While no signature is required for transactions under Rs. 5,000, the highlight is the convenience of letting the customer tap the card to pay, making the payment faster than cash. For both consumers and trade, the security and ease of contactless payments translate into a safe and an easy option when compared with cash,” adds Watson. 

A contactless card is a Near Field Communication-enabled (NFC) card that allows a user to simply tap their card on a POS terminal to make a payment. There is no requirement for a PIN or signature for these transactions (below Sri Lankan Rs. 5,000), thereby drastically reducing transaction time from about 30 seconds to just three seconds. Contactless cards help a cardholder to not just make low value purchases digitally but to reduce billing time and pay quickly and in a secure manner. A study by Visa in Australia shows that 41% of retailers witnessed an increase in sales by introducing the contactless payment method. Customer stickiness too improved due to quick transaction time and ease of use of contactless payments.Visa’s campaign for the ‘Tap to pay with Visa. Just like that.’ explores the cultural insights of tapping, narrating them as Tap to Pay with Visa. #JustLikeThat, which is relatable, authentic and captures the brand’s unbound spirit in many ways.

The campaign will focus on situations that showcase the way a person taps in everyday life – like a dancer tapping her feet, tapping a spatula while cooking, double tapping to like something on social media and children tapping each other while playing in the streets. It then shows how to make a payment by simply tapping on a payment terminal with a Visa contactless card. It draws on everyday situations to convey the simplicity and convenience of making cashless payments through the card and creating a payment experience for cardholders, Just like that.