By the time the ceremony started, Alex had a digital gift sent and a "Congratulations" note written, all without touching his bank account.

Alex was in a pinch. He needed a last-minute wedding gift, and a was the perfect solution. He had plenty of funds in his PayPal account but didn't have time to wait for a bank transfer.

For stores that accept contactless payments , Alex could have linked his PayPal account to Google Pay or Apple Pay . Then, he’d just tap his phone at a pharmacy or big-box retailer to buy the physical gift card.