As we near the midway point of the Gemalto 2013 Contactless Challenge, our savvy bloggers Kathy Dalton (@KathyDaltonSLC) and Josh Kerr (@JoshKerr) have started to hit their stride.
By the end of the third day, Kathy assumed the lead, earning 12 points to Josh’s three. Kathy is now clearly in the lead with 35 points for the week so far, compared to Josh at 22 points. At this point, though, it’s still anyone’s game!
The highlight of the competition’s third day was a Twitter chat hosted by @JustAskGemalto where Josh and Kathy tweeted about their top surprises and challenges using NFC-enabled phones. Both agreed tapping to pay is pretty cool, which has left a lasting impression on others:
When asked what they’ve found to be most fun about the challenge, Josh said he thought buying his girlfriend flowers was “super fun,” while Kathy mentioned that having her kids along for her missions is neat – her kids even earn a quarter from her for each mission!
Beyond earning points by participating in the chat, Kathy was slightly deterred when the ribbon boutique (yes, you read that correctly) closed earlier than she expected. Though she wasn’t down for long, rallying to pick up points with a drive-thru stop, using an ISIS coupon.
Meanwhile, Josh posted a vlog chronicling his experience thus far, including how ‘everyone smiles when it works’. In fact, he’s claimed he’s almost ready to ditch his wallet altogether!
httpv://youtu.be/JhPtRu0XcNA
If you live in Austin or Salt Lake City, you can definitely get involved in the challenge! Tonight, June 13, Josh and Kathy are hosting local meet ups at the downtown Austin Whole Foods and the Salt Lake City Sugar House location with Gemalto providing dessert! It will be a great time for you to stop by to learn about NFC and even make a contactless payment for yourself. For more information on those events, watch Josh and Kathy’s Twitter feeds and follow #GemaltoNFC.
