One reason retailers are chomping at the bits over near field payment is that it will eliminate all the unproductive conversation between employees One and customers. Distracted by their phone, there will be less likelihood of personal interaction. This will leave the employee free to pimp magazine subscriptions and extended warranties in strict accordance with the scripts retailers are forcing upon checkout line staff.
There's already a great interface for taking people's money which doesn't require a location aware electronic device. It has a face and a uses natural language.
Retailer's will surely recognize that their value add is in the personal, friendly, and helpful atmosphere they can create with their staff. Square seems to have pretty much hit the nail on the head with 'Auto Tab' - eliminating the awkward, unglamorous part of the process (the obvious exchange of money) means that the coffee shop barista can instead focus on greeting the customer by name, offering the usual or taking a different order without reminding them of the money their spending or directly fiddling aroudn with cash or phones.
Sounds like a pretty ideal shopping experience to me. The only real benefit I see NFC having is that it can eliminate the wallet from my pocket.
There's already a great interface for taking people's money which doesn't require a location aware electronic device. It has a face and a uses natural language.
(Now, get off my lawn).