On one hand, I really like this because it does make it more convenient to use vending machines by removing the need for cash and coins. The other side of that coin, however, is I feel it'll make me less selective and I'll end up paying their marked up prices since the cost will seem "less real." Parting with real cash makes me less inclined to spend $1.25 on a soda, but if all I have to do is tap and "pay later" I'll probably give in to temptation more often.
I really like this because it does make it more convenient to use vending machines by removing the need for cash and coins.
Going beyond that, I would absolutely kill to see NFC-enabled parking meters. Using credit or debit all the time means I don't accumulate coins anymore in my car. So then I have nothing to pay parking meters, and I often end up having to take a gamble on getting a ticket.
A large chunk of San Francisco has credit card enabled meters: http://sfpark.org/
The whole program is actually really interesting: the meters update their prices by 25-50¢ each month to attempt to meet congestion targets per street.
Philadelphia recently installed credit-card meters, and they're terrible. They almost always refuse to scan either of my two cards correctly, a problem I never have with any other card scanners. I don't know if it's because they're exposed to the elements or what, but they just don't perform as advertised. NFC would be great in this scenario, as you can fully protect the sensor from the weather.
In flyover country where I live (St Louis) I should be happy that we even have digital coin-op meters and not ancient clockwork models. A couple years ago they put pay-and-display meters in a few neighborhoods, only to inexplicably get rid of them and replace them with coin only meters.
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The whole program is actually really interesting: the meters update their prices by 25-50¢ each month to attempt to meet congestion targets per street.
Plus they have an API providing app developers with meter information (including current usage) http://sfpark.org/how-it-works/developerresources/.
The video (http://sfpark.org/about-the-project/) explains it really well.
In version 2.0, you will get a discount for automatically posting your purchase on G+.