> [...] than needing a separate app for the payment provider in question, having to open it to scan a QR code.

At least for WeChat/Alipay, the apps integrate with banks. You can also provide your own QR code for payment which gets scanned. The flow is then unlock your phone, show the QR code. There also isn't a step to fill payment details (unless you are comparing to some imaginary payment system).

> much worse UX

Presenting a QR code, opening a scanner, or bringing out the NFC payment UI are all single step operations. (unless you want to manually open the apple wallet app instead of using the double click function, for example.) I don't think you are being fair here. NFC payment has its own problems: you have to line up the devices, which means moving very close to the payment terminal. Often different terminals have different areas to line up. The scanning flow is superior as there is much greater margin of error in positioning and you can pay from a greater distance.

If you bring a bunch of cards instead of having a charged phone, that's a preference but not a UX improvement.

> SEPA is free and easy to use.

Yes, and you will have to have a phone, unlock, open a specific app, fill in payment details.

> The scanning flow is superior as there is much greater margin of error in positioning and you can pay from a greater distance.

True. Some giant screens (e.g. in clubs) in China have a QR code that you can scan and pay to have your message displayed on the screen. Also many restaurants simply stick a QR code on the table for payment. No need for a waiter to carry a terminal. You just scan it when you are ready to pay and leave.

The reality in Europe is that I had recently needed to stop visiting one particular restaurant where their terminal was not working with my card. Both terminal and card from the same country. Neither contactless or entering the card worked. Never had that experience ever since, or before that. Both the terminal and the card worked, separately, just not together, at the same time.

This is not "the reality in Europe", it's a singular anecdote with one bad terminal/card/bank/network.

> SEPA is free and easy to use.

Really? Then why do merchants use card terminals at all then?

You want to give a homeless person money on the street, how does the SEPA payment flow look like?

> still need a bank account, still need to apply for a physical card

Free but time consuming. Typically needs to be done in person and requires waiting in line.

> still need to pay high transaction fees

Fees are closer to 1% or more for credit cards.

> no way to list who is authorized to charge your card

It's a problem if you forget who has your credit card info and it's often a hassle to "unsubscribe" yourself. Sometimes, the only way is to call your card's customer service.

> Nope, there a bunch of startups such as SumUp with very affordable terminals.

"A standard fee of 1.69% per transaction applies for all our card readers."

I feel like you just haven't used WeChat/Alipay enough to realize how better it is from a UX point of view. It's really obvious to anyone who has used both systems extensively.

> Really? Then why do merchants use card terminals at all then?

Because it's easier, faster, and has more protections/provisions for payments.

> Free but time consuming. Typically needs to be done in person and requires waiting in line.

There have been fully online banks for around a decade now in most EU countries.

> I feel like you just haven't used WeChat/Alipay enough to realize how better it is from a UX point of view

I haven't no, but none of your arguments are anything about the UX itself. It still sucks, comparatively, to have to open an app, click a button, scan a QR code, and then type information vs just tapping a card/watch/phone with the payment information pre-filled.

The fact that fees might be lower, there might be better b2c and c2c support, etc etc are irrelevant to how bad the UX at the point of use is.