Apple Pay Hits Roadblocks as CVS Stops Accepting Payments
After wowing those in attendance at its unveiling, Apple's new Apple Pay system has hit its first roadblocks, with pharmacy chain CVS reportedly becoming the second major retailer to stop accepting payments through the service.
It was just last Thursday that another major drug store chain, Rite Aid, was reported to stop accepting Apple Pay payments due to a conflict with its payment processing system. CVS seems to have taken a similar path.
Although details are still unclear as to the cause of the commotion, it seems that Apple Pay conflicts with the mobile payment system CurrentC, developed by retail technology firm Mobile Customer Exchange (MCX). The point of contention lies with the fact that CurrentC does not utilize NFC technology, and instead generates a QR code that buyer can then scan, according to USA Today.
MCX has not stated whether it plans to implement NFC into CurrentC so that Apple Pay can take advantage, but the company has been involved in moving purchases away from companies like Visa and Mastercard that charge merchants a transaction fee.
CVS and Rite Aid aren't the only major retailers to not support the new payment system on what is becoming some of the world's fastest-growing smartphones (the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus) by sales. Both Wal-Mart and Best Buy, two of the nation's largest chains, stated back in September when Apple revealed Apple Pay that they would not accept payments via the service. Both use MCX offerings, as do other behemoths such as Target and Sears.
Does Apple Pay have a chance at making it where other services like Google Wallet have failed? It seems that merchants hope so, considering even a two percent transaction fee to Visa can eat into the books.
"I don't know that MCX will succeed, and I don't care, former Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott is reported to have said. "As long as Visa suffers."
Apple Pay, introduced in the new iOS 8.1 update, is easy to use, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will catch on. Apple Pay requires many of the same procedures pulling a card out of a wallet does, but it does offer what those bulky wallet-smartphone cases do -- a place to have all of your important information in one spot. Being able to take calls, do work, catch up on your fantasy team, and pick up dinner with the same device is quite enticing -- but only time will tell whether retailers and buyers decide it's what's best for them.
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