Amsterdam introduces contactless payment jackets for homeless people

An innovative new method of donating money to the homeless using a contactless payment system fitted to a winter jacket is being tested on the streets of Amsterdam.

Created by ad agency N = 5, the product is designed to help well-wishers give one Euro with the tap of a card, money that can later be redeemed for meals, a bath or an overnight stay at a homeless shelter.

The prototype winter coat has warm linings, heavy material and a fur hood, but also comes with an in-built contactless payment system and a logo that reads “Helping Heart.”
The contactless payment jacket also comes with an LCD screen which constantly displays instructions of use.

“People have less cash in their pockets,” says Jan Jesse Bakker, the designer of the jacket. “And if you have a single euro on you and give it to a homeless person, then you do not know what happens to it.”

The fixed sum (one euro) goes into a bank account managed by a homeless shelter, and can only be used to purchase a hot meal, pay for a bath or spend a night at a homeless shelter (many such centers in the Netherlands require a contribution of 5€ per night).

Homeless people can also save money for various job certification courses or a down-payment for a home.

http://nis5.nl/