推廣電子支付是讓消費者有更方便支付環境，未來帶手機就可以到處支付，不用帶現金；以下我們請來兩位學生對電子支付的不同意見，讓大家更了解電子支付能帶來的種種體驗。

The advancement in technology has transformed the way people live, including the way we pay. Write an article for your school newspaper giving two reasons why using e-payment is popular in Hong Kong. You should also explain why going cashless is not good.  Give a title to your article.

Stay alert when using e-payment in Hong Kong

Electronic payment is often synonymous with convenience. While China is becoming ahead of other Asian cities in terms of electronic payment development, Hong Kong has a long history of using electronic payment, or to be precise, using the Octopus Card. In this article, I will give two reasons of why using e-payment is popular in Hong Kong and explain why going cashless is not good.

To start with, e-payment is speedy and convenient. E-payment is very convenient compared to traditional payment methods such as cash or check. Since you can pay for goods or services online at any time and from any part of the world, you don’t have to spend time queuing in banks or merchant office waiting for your turn to make transactions. You don’t need to wait for a check to clear the debt. Therefore, e-payment facilitates trading between companies and bring convenience.

In addition, e-payment is cost-effective with low transaction costs. While there are no additional charges for making cash payment, trips to the store typically cost money and sending checks also requires postage. On the other hand, there are usually no fees or very small ones to swipe your card or pay online. In the long run, e-payments could save both individuals and businesses hundreds to thousands of dollars in transaction fees.

Although using e-payment is popular in Hong Kong, there are also some disadvantages of using e-payment. Even though there are some laws to ensure the safety and security of e-payment systems, they are still vulnerable to hacking. Fraudsters, for instance, might build phishing websites to trick unsuspecting users into providing the login details of their e-wallets, which they capture and use to access the victims’ personal and financial information. Without identity verification measures, anyone can use your cards and e-wallets and get away without being caught.

Besides security concerns, there may be disputed transactions. If someone uses your electronic money without your authorization, you would identify the unfamiliar charge and file a claim with the bank, online payment processors or credit card companies. Without sufficient information about the person who performed the transaction, it can be difficult to win the claim and get a refund.

To sum up, the advancement in technology has transformed the way people live, including the way we pay. Although the advancement in technology is convenient, we need to be careful when we pay online.

Yeung Ka Yan 4A