It required a double take.

I am on vacation, enjoying time with my family. Figuring I would catch up on some reading, I grabbed the Dec issue of Inc magazine, hoping for an idea or two. (The magazine is usually good for at least a couple of good entrepreneurial ideas.)

I glanced at the cover feature, entitled “How & Where to Make Money in 2013” — typical magazine fare. Guess what is the No. 1 “game changer” for 2013? “Plastic Will Be Passé”! From the piece:

As customers use their smartphones for shopping, the devices will become a primary conduit for directing targeted coupons, rewards, and other special offers. … Bottom line: The boring business of payment processing is getting pretty sexy. And that’s good news for your business, too.

The “you” in that last sentence is directed at small business owners who read Inc, but it might as well be you, as in FinAi News readers. When payments becomes “sexy,” the financial services sector can only benefit. You should do a double take, too.