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Popular Car Wash

· Popular Car Wash team

Why Tap-to-Pay on Self-Serve Bays Matters

Most self-serve car wash bays in southern Ontario still require coins, which means a quick wash often turns into a hunt for change. All four Popular Car Wash self-serve locations — Hamilton (Barton St E), Whitby Building A (Hopkins St, 24/7), Port Perry (Vanedward Dr), and Uxbridge (Main St N) — accept tap-to-pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and coins.

Why self-serve operators have lagged on tap-to-pay

Self-serve bay payment systems are typically older — many operators installed coin acceptors 10-20 years ago and never upgraded. Adding tap-to-pay requires new hardware in every bay and integration with a modern payment processor. It is a meaningful capital investment per bay.

We made that investment because customers told us coin-only is a real friction point. Most people do not carry $5 in quarters anymore.

How it works at our self-serve bays

Walk up, tap your card or phone on the reader, choose your wash mode (pre-soak, foam, rinse, wax, spot-free rinse), and time starts. Add more time mid-wash by tapping again. The bay timer counts down and shows you the cost. Coins still work for anyone who prefers them.

Whitby Building A on Hopkins St is open 24/7 with 6 bays. Hamilton, Port Perry, and Uxbridge have 4 bays each during regular hours.

Tap-to-Pay on Self-Serve Bays | Popular Car Wash