Touchscreen payment terminal leaves blind customer unable to pay

A blind customer could not pay for dog food at a Musti ja Mirri pet shop in Helsinki because its payment terminal had a touchscreen without a keypad, Yle reports.

Riikka Hänninen, 46, was shopping for her guide dog Isla at the chain’s Viikki store in early October. She had no cash and no mobile payment service on her phone, so she could not complete the purchase.

Hänninen says she encounters similar problems several times a month, including in shops and restaurants. Some staff have asked her to tell them her PIN, but she says customers should not have to share their bank card codes with strangers. The Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired also says PIN codes must not be given to another person.

The problem extends beyond payment terminals. Touchscreens are used in household appliances, parcel lockers, door-entry systems, lifts and check-in machines. The federation estimates that Finland has about 55,000 people with visual impairments, including around 9,000 who are blind. Some older people may also have difficulty using touchscreen devices.

EU accessibility requirements began applying on 28 June 2025. Payment terminals placed on the EU market before the rules took effect can still be sold and used, according to Terhi Manninen, an accessibility expert at the federation. Terminal manufacturer Adyen says its touchscreen models meet EU requirements.

Musti ja Mirri and its sister retailer Pete’s Koiratarvike had trialled touchscreen terminals in dozens of Finnish stores. The company decided in August to replace them after concerns emerged, and began the changeover in September. It said the replacements were completed by 29 October and apologised for the difficulties, saying it wanted customers to be able to shop as independently as possible.