Don't have cash for your P.E.I. farm stand purchase? You can use your phone

There's a new option coming for customers who don't have cash on them, but want to buy P.E.I. products from farm stands. 

The P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture approached Island restaurant tech company TopServe to see if it had an option so customers could pay with their mobile phones. 

Maggie McCormick, communications manager with the federation, said the idea came from family members of people who work with Farm and Food Care P.E.I.

"One of the problems they were having was that they would love to buy more from local farm stands on P.E.I., but never had enough cash on them," she said. "So they thought, you know, why isn't there a digital payment solution, why isn't there an app out there?

"You see some strawberries, you want those. But then you also see some other good stuff and you don't have enough change in your console, your car.... We thought, what a great idea."

Farmers can sign up for the "Farm Stand" service on the TopServe website to receive a QR code specific to them. 

"We get that all printed out on signs and stickers and delivered to them and then they can put that up, whether it's on their farm stand or they can bring it to farmers' markets," she said. "They can basically bring it anywhere with them."

All a customer would have to do, McCormick said, is scan the code on their phone, which would prompt them for the payment info. They then have to put in the amount they're paying for the goods they'll take home with them. 

She said the Federation of Agriculture doesn't think the digital option will replace all cash transactions.

"It doesn't replace the honour system or anything like that. That's all still in place," McCormick said. "What it does is it adds another option and hopefully one that will make it easier for more people to to purchase P.E.I. produce from these farm stands."

A convenient way to pay, CEO says

TopServe CEO Nicholas Cameron said the company has started to reach out to vendors now. 

"A lot of people these days don't carry cash on them. So it's a convenience for people driving on and off the Island that if they weren't sure about stopping, the farm stands can advertise digital payments and then it might promote more people to stop," Cameron said.

He added that using the service is a more secure way for farmers to get money for their products.

"There's been some problems in the past with people stealing the cash boxes, and that's just unbelievable. So anything we can do to help is a win."

McCormick said the federation has been sharing the idea with its members.

"Some farmers later in the season have been talking to us maybe about using it at the farmer's market in the winter," she said. "We've had some sweet corn farmers interested."

The service does have a cost. A 30-cent charge is applied per transaction, plus 2.9 per cent of the total.

That would be 60 cents on 10 dollars' worth of potatoes. 

More information about the service can be found on the Federation of Agriculture website.