Ever walked past a street artist and wanted to show appreciation for the performance only to realize you had no cash?
Soon there might be a solution.
In what might be the world’s first, London has introduced a way for passers-by to tip buskers—street performers and musicians—with cashless payments.
The city launched the scheme in partnership with Swedish tech firm iZettle, which was recently purchased by PayPal (PYPL).
London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, announced the new scheme on Sunday, called Busk in London.
“For London to maintain its status as a global capital of music, it’s vitally important that we support the stars of tomorrow,” Khan said. “Busking helps emerging artists to hone their talent and gives them the chance to perform in front of huge numbers of people.”
The initiative is due to be rolled out across the city. The buskers will be able to use card readers that plug into their smartphones, which will allow a passer-by to use their contactless card to tip the musician. The card readers will also work with standard chip and pin cards, as well as wearable technology.
IZettle has yet to announce partnerships with any other cities.
