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I don't know why they said "US and Canada". We haven't had to sign for credit card purchases in years. Over $100 we have to insert the card and use our PIN instead of just tapping it on the card reader.
 
So what about at restaurants, like when a tip is involved? Is there an eventual way to add tips using Apple Pay and not have to sign anything at all? I hate having to wait for the server to (1) give me the bill, (2) pick up the bill WITH credit card in the pocket, (3) return the bill with credit card, merchant copy and customer copy, and (4) me to calculate the tip, fill in the blanks, sign the appropriate copy, put my credit card back in the wallet, and make my way out of the establishment. Meanwhile, I've just given my credit card information to a random server who could very easily be taking pictures of the front and back of my card while they are supposedly putting the charge through. Ugh...what a horrible process!!

Doesn't it seem like they could install some device on each table where you could do Apple Pay (or contactless payment) right there, have the device calculate an exact percentage tip, run the whole charge, and have it so you never need the server for any of that process?

Just come up to Canada some time and see how it's done. It's this easy:

1) The server brings over the wireless payment terminal with total inputted
2) you hit ok to confirm the total and then choose how much of a tip you want to add
3) insert your chip card and enter pin or tap your card if it supports contactless.

At no time is your debit or credit card, or the payment terminal, out of your sight. Every time my American friends come up, this stuff blows their mind.
 
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Paying with Apple Pay on my AW, with no need to sign anything, is by far the best payment method ever.

And Apple at its best.

I've used several terminals that required me to either sign or enter passcode after using Apple Pay, not to mention having to go through the "do you want cash back?" BS.
 
"requirement" - I've been "signing" with literally a straight line for the past decade. Not one retailer has bothered checking. The closest is someone will ask for an ID, confirming the name is correct, but don't bother questioning that the signature that I gave and the one on my ID don't match.
 
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This is good. Signatures are worthless as NO ONE ever seems to check against the drivers license, so there is it doens’t do any good. As an experiment, for the past 18 months, I havne’t signed with my name at all when asked. I’ve signed as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Not My Name, the name of the business or even drawn little pictures or just made an X....NO ONE Noticed or cared. It’s about time to great rid of this.
 
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Every time I pay with apple pay and the station wants a signature, it gets a straight line. I refuse to sign a real signature with apple pay.
 
Just come up to Canada some time and see how it's done. It's this easy:

1) The server brings over the wireless payment terminal with total inputted
2) you hit ok to confirm the total and then choose how much of a tip you want to add
3) insert your chip card and enter pin or tap your card if it supports contactless.

At no time is your debit or credit card, or the payment terminal, out of your sight. Every time my American friends come up, this stuff blows their mind.

UGH!! And it's SOOOO SIMPLE! Why on earth can they not figure this out at American restaurants?!? This makes me insane!

The funny thing is, I remember a few years back when Microsoft first started promoting their "Surface" technology (when it was all still R&D), one of the key applications was going to be using it on tables at bars and restaurants, so the entire table would be a giant multi-touch screen where people could look at the menu, touch the items they want, get a digital bill, put their credit cards on top of the bill, etc. What a joke that turned out to be. Obviously, it's cost prohibitive, but still...they couldn't think of a cheaper way to integrate a multitouch screen into even a small section of a table? And maybe even put an NFC reader or a chip reader into the table? What's the deal? I know everyone is cheap and everything costs money, but this seems to be one of those things that could be a game changer in terms of efficiency and fraud protection.
 
The UK phased out the signature requirement yearssssssss ago!

Am I missing something here or is the US seriously Neanderthal?!
odd reply from a country with one of the highest levels of neanderthal DNA in their indigenous people.
 
So what about at restaurants, like when a tip is involved? Is there an eventual way to add tips using Apple Pay and not have to sign anything at all? I hate having to wait for the server to (1) give me the bill, (2) pick up the bill WITH credit card in the pocket, (3) return the bill with credit card, merchant copy and customer copy, and (4) me to calculate the tip, fill in the blanks, sign the appropriate copy, put my credit card back in the wallet, and make my way out of the establishment. Meanwhile, I've just given my credit card information to a random server who could very easily be taking pictures of the front and back of my card while they are supposedly putting the charge through. Ugh...what a horrible process!!

Doesn't it seem like they could install some device on each table where you could do Apple Pay (or contactless payment) right there, have the device calculate an exact percentage tip, run the whole charge, and have it so you never need the server for any of that process?

We don't tip for anything here, and we don't wait for bills at tables, so we don't have the same problem. We also haven't had to sign for anything for over a decade. However, the credit card machines have the capability to request a tip. The machine can optionally ask if you want to add a tip to the total before the customer waves or swipes their card. Don't worry, I'm sure your country will catch up eventually :p
 
who signs for apple pay now anyways?

About 70% of the time I have to add a meaningless signature after I've done Apple Pay with the watch of the phone (so biometrics or a pin have already been entered). Absolutely ridiculous. I think they charge the merchants more if they don't have the signature.
 
Apple Pay / contactless payments at restaurants needs a rethink. The waiter needs to be able to bring you your bill and have you put up your phone to select a card and initiate payment. Then the waiter should be able to submit the bill via apple pay with the transaction ID from the initiate payment step. Then Your phone should show you the bill, allow you to enter a tip in private without the waiter standing there and at a time convenient for you, and then allow you to complete the transaction on your phone with no further action from the waiter. You should also have the option to cancel a pending transaction after initiation if there is an issue with the bill. While the bill is pending you should be able to split that bill with anyone at your table (or not) using an airdrop like feature or by inviting via a contact. Then when all invitees have completed and authorized, the transaction should complete and show everyone their receipts.
 
Apple Pay / contactless payments at restaurants needs a rethink. The waiter needs to be able to bring you your bill and have you put up your phone to select a card and initiate payment. Then the waiter should be able to submit the bill via apple pay with the transaction ID from the initiate payment step. Then Your phone should show you the bill, allow you to enter a tip, and then allow you to complete the transaction on your phone with no further action from the waiter. You should also have the option to cancel a pending transaction after initiation if there is an issue with the bill. While the bill is pending you should be able to split that bill with anyone at your table (or not) using an airdrop like feature or by inviting via a contact. Then when all invitees have completed and authorized, the transaction should complete and show everyone their receipts.

See my reply above to another user. You guys are overthinking it and what you're wanting to do is totally possible and the norm in Canada. They bring the bill and a wireless payment terminal (they're the size of caluclators these days guys). After you confirm the bill and enter a tip, you can tap your phone if it supports contactless. Or else you insert your card and enter a pin. Takes literally 15 seconds.
 
Based on the last year or so -- Yes we are.

I've visited the US about twice a year for the last 10 years ago... the last time, about a month ago, was the first time I've really started to encounter chip & pin in the US... although only at a couple of places, including one restaurant it was a case of hand card to server, wait, have server come back and ask for the "password", follow server over to counter, go behind counter, enter PIN in terminal and then sign the slip anyway.

However, I suspect you may have been alluding to other events of the last year or so, and I'm afraid that us Brits can't go chucking too many bricks in that particular greenhouse...

LOL welcome to 2017 to our US friends

I think you mean "welcome to 2006" when Chip & pin was rolled out in the UK and became the norm within a couple of years. Of course, the banks speeded up the process by making vendors liable for fraud committed via swipe & sign payments....

2017 in the UK is more like "contactless pay-by-tap for all transactions under £30 becomes widely available".
 
UGH!! And it's SOOOO SIMPLE! Why on earth can they not figure this out at American restaurants?!? This makes me insane!

The funny thing is, I remember a few years back when Microsoft first started promoting their "Surface" technology (when it was all still R&D), one of the key applications was going to be using it on tables at bars and restaurants, so the entire table would be a giant multi-touch screen where people could look at the menu, touch the items they want, get a digital bill, put their credit cards on top of the bill, etc. What a joke that turned out to be. Obviously, it's cost prohibitive, but still...they couldn't think of a cheaper way to integrate a multitouch screen into even a small section of a table? And maybe even put an NFC reader or a chip reader into the table? What's the deal? I know everyone is cheap and everything costs money, but this seems to be one of those things that could be a game changer in terms of efficiency and fraud protection.

You'd be blown away at the flexibility of the restaurant point of sale software here in Canada. Whatever you want to do with that bill is possible. Split it 7 ways, split in groups, pay down person by person, pay percentages, whatever. It's all doable. I've never been able to do anything more than split a bill in half in the US but that's just my experience.
 
They bring the bill and a wireless payment terminal (they're the size of caluclators these days guys). After you confirm the bill and enter a tip, you can tap your phone if it supports contactless. Or else you insert your card and enter a pin. Takes literally 15 seconds.

...same in the UK and much of Europe - and has been for years.
 
See my reply above to another user. You guys are overthinking it and what you're wanting to do is totally possible and the norm in Canada. They bring the bill and a wireless payment terminal (they're the size of caluclators these days guys). After you confirm the bill and enter a tip, you can tap your phone if it supports contactless. Or else you insert your card and enter a pin. Takes literally 15 seconds.

Yes I know Canada is awesome and so is Aukland. You can split bills with others at the table and take your time to compute your tip in private without the waiter standing there? It seems a better way to complete the transaction is on your phone since you are using a smart phone device. It would offer other capabilities that are practical and slow down the restaurant like splitting a bill. I dont think this is "overthinking" This happens often with groups of people.
 
So what about at restaurants, like when a tip is involved? Is there an eventual way to add tips using Apple Pay and not have to sign anything at all? I hate having to wait for the server to (1) give me the bill, (2) pick up the bill WITH credit card in the pocket, (3) return the bill with credit card, merchant copy and customer copy, and (4) me to calculate the tip, fill in the blanks, sign the appropriate copy, put my credit card back in the wallet, and make my way out of the establishment. Meanwhile, I've just given my credit card information to a random server who could very easily be taking pictures of the front and back of my card while they are supposedly putting the charge through. Ugh...what a horrible process!!

Doesn't it seem like they could install some device on each table where you could do Apple Pay (or contactless payment) right there, have the device calculate an exact percentage tip, run the whole charge, and have it so you never need the server for any of that process?

At least in Canada, they just bring you the payment. machine and it prompts your for the tip amount or %. Then when all is set it asks for your payment which could be chip+pin or could be Tap.
 
Apple Pay customers in other countries that have similar restrictions may also see them lifted when using American Express, but there are locations like Canada where contactless payments are not permitted for large purchases.

This is not true. The amount restriction depends on the consumer verification method (CVM) supported by the card network/bank, and the device used to pay.
There are four CVM: PIN, Signature, Consumer Device Cardholder Verification Method (CDCVM) and Nothing (which means no check performed).

When you tap your card (contactless), the is no CVM performed, hence why it is limited to $50.
When you tap your Apple Pay phone, two things might happen: the network/machine might not perform any CVM check (because it does not support the Consumer Device Cardholder Verification Method (CDCVM) specification), which result in being limited to $50, or it might perform a Consumer Device Cardholder Verification Method (CDCVM) check, which would lift the limit.

My point is that the limit is not due to the fact that it's contactless, but rather the protocol supported by the contactless device AND the network/machine/bank.

Also: I have been prompted once for PIN on the payment machine after tapping my phone.

Source: Personal knowledge & https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202527
 
Yes I know Canada is awesome and so is Aukland. You can split bills with others at the table and take your time to compute your tip in private without the waiter standing there? It seems a better way to complete the transaction is on your phone since you are using a smart phone device. It would offer other capabilities that are practical and slow down the restaurant like splitting a bill. I dont think this is "overthinking" This happens often with groups of people.

Apple could technically put that into Apply Pay but it would mess with the point of sale software since there are so many different software providers. I see no reason why using a wireless terminal doesn't accomplish what you need.

For privacy, it's a culture thing. Here in Canada, the server will walk away so you can pay/tip in peace. If they have to stand there for multiple payments, they'll turn around. The tip amount doesn't show when it goes back to the server anyways so they would have to check the receipt. But what they do is tear it off and pass it to you upside down. They never look, that's considered rude.
 
Just come up to Canada some time and see how it's done. It's this easy:

1) The server brings over the wireless payment terminal with total inputted
2) you hit ok to confirm the total and then choose how much of a tip you want to add
3) insert your chip card and enter pin or tap your card if it supports contactless.

At no time is your debit or credit card, or the payment terminal, out of your sight. Every time my American friends come up, this stuff blows their mind.
A few of the bigger chain restaurants in the U.S. are starting to have payment terminals on the table.
You can pay for your meal without involving the server at all. Makes for a much quicker checkout.
Ziosk terminals seem to be the popular brand used. Pretty simple to use.
 
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I don't know why they said "US and Canada". We haven't had to sign for credit card purchases in years. Over $100 we have to insert the card and use our PIN instead of just tapping it on the card reader.

Yes, that’s been the the case in Australia for around around 5 years (a guess, feels like that long), BUT since I’ve had my iPhone X I have made 2 purchases over $100, and both the retailer and I have been surprised that a pin code has not been required. I can only think that the bank (ANZ) feel Face ID is as secure as a pin.
 
Apple could technically put that into Apply Pay but it would mess with the point of sale software since there are so many different software providers. I see no reason why using a wireless terminal doesn't accomplish what you need.

For privacy, it's a culture thing. Here in Canada, the server will walk away so you can pay/tip in peace. If they have to stand there for multiple payments, they'll turn around. The tip amount doesn't show when it goes back to the server anyways so they would have to check the receipt. But what they do is tear it off and pass it to you upside down. They never look, that's considered rude.


Fair enough. I definitely would not want to see an apple pay only solution. I think it would need to be standardized for all contactless payments. It would be easy for the waiter to allow one person to swipe and then walk away and mostly be finished. The remaining actions to take place on your phone and others you share with at the table or away i.e. a parent or sugar daddy (j/k) etc. If you are not using a phone and only a card then doing it as described here completed on the terminal also makes sense. Seems both options would be good.
 
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