Apple Extends Internal iOS 11.1 Apple Pay Cash Testing to Retail Employees

[avanpelt]

My issue with stuff like Apple Pay is if you lose your phone, will you be "cash stranded" until you get a new phone?

No, because you should still keep the actual debit/credit cards after you add the cards to Apple Pay.

 

[0970373]

If you know about it already then ignore me, but look into TransferWise if not. Very low cost international transfers and, once they know you, transfers are very quick. If you use Apple Pay they can take just a couple of hours, end to end.

I did not know about that so thank you!

 

[Ghost31]

Really, Apple? Why do we need to verify our identity with a social security number? A social security number is not meant for identification purposes. Let's stop doing this, okay? Thanks

Money laundering I’m assuming.

 

[Macaholic868]

I really feel that this particular feature will be a tipping point for many people to finally get into cashless day to day life and understand it’s not that scary.

Until an extended time where the power is out or for those who value their privacy and don’t want every single financial transaction monitored by a third party and/or the government with zero consequences imposed when that data gets hacked and as a result is made available to people with bad intentions.

There is now, and always will be, great value in anonymous cash transactions between people. Like everything in life electronic financial transactions have an upside and a downside and we as a society will all be worse off if anonymous cash transactions cease to exist.

 

[Feenician]

I did not know about that so thank you!

It’s a great service. As a Brit/Scot living in the US I’ve used it many times in both directions and it really works well with very low commission. The app is very nicely put together too.

 

[allanfries]

Looking forward to this one.

 

[Tech198]

This looks good.

Until an extended time where the power is out or for those who value their privacy and don’t want every single financial transaction monitored by a third party and/or the government with zero consequences imposed when that data gets hacked and as a result is made available to people with bad intentions.

I don't think that will be an option... We'll all be headed to cashless cards eventually one way or another.

So much for privacy.... "Some" of us will be going kicking and screaming though

 

[flat five]

Or you have the waitress split it evenly which is even easier than adding up a bunch of items and texting each other money over a few dollars difference.

Or you take turns buying lunch.


That's how I handle those daily occurances. (Works with Android and flip phone users too.)

hmm.. are you sure these are actually daily occurrences for you?
because it doesn't work out well at all when done like that.

i think you're talking more about occasional lunches or occasional dinners.. in which case yes, an even split is social..
or one person picks up the tab.. or two split across four.. etc.
i mean, i do that stuff too.. probably more than most people even. (i eat at my house like once per week )

the particular scenario i laid out in the post you quoted though, these other ways you're saying just don't do the trick.. for a number of reasons..

but at lunch, with my coworkers, it's pay your own.. believe it or not.

 

[576316]

It's good they're testing this feature thoroughly, and in the real world. You don't want to release it and find some horrible exploit or bug - especially when money is involved.
[doublepost=1507962559][/doublepost]

data gets hacked and as a result is made available to people with bad intentions.

Serious question: What might an unscrupulous individual do with knowledge of your purchases?

 

[Robert.Walter]

It's U.S. only at launch.

Once it launches in foreign markets, it’s going to be interesting as to whether one will be able to do P2P payments across differing borders and currencies and if so, how the rates will be set and if there will be limits, and foreign currency fee charges.
[doublepost=1507962885][/doublepost]

hmm.. are you sure these are actually daily occurrences for you?
because it doesn't work out well at all when done like that.

i think you're talking more about occasional lunches or occasional dinners.. in which case yes, an even split is social..
or one person picks up the tab.. or two split across four.. etc.
i mean, i do that stuff too.. probably more than most people even. (i eat at my house like once per week )

the particular scenario i laid out in the post you quoted though, these other ways you're saying just don't do the trick.. for a number of reasons..
but at lunch, with my coworkers, it's pay your own.. believe it or not.

Here in Switzerland it is a simple question: “separate checks or all together?” If separate, the waitperson calculates it on the spot old school (although some now have iPads and they click items from the cumulative order and present the customer with their cost.)

Nobody gots wigged out over the guy who ordered “gold encrusted surf & turf and caviar” suggesting “let’s split it x-ways”, because that just doesn’t happen (that guy wouldn’t be invited to next group outing.)

 

[BvizioN]

Question. What is the relevance of Social Security number in US? Is it like national insurance number in the UK? Seems to be quite important over there to be used as a proof of ID. National insurance number here is mostly used for employment/payroll/taxes etc.
Sorry for going a bit out of topic.

 

[ecschwarz]

Question. What is the relevance of Social Security number in US? Is it like national insurance number in the UK? Seems to be quite important over there to be used as a proof of ID. National insurance number here is mostly used for employment/payroll/taxes etc.
Sorry for going a bit out of topic.

I'll be the first to admit my inaccuracies on some details, but I'll do my best. It's a unique number assigned to US citizens and permanent residents for the sake of Social Security benefits (payroll tax designed to supplement retired/older Americans for medical and other "help"). Unfortunately, it sort of became an identifier since every US citizen had one, and now is used for other taxes (the IRS), financial/credit records, and just about anything else where you have to prove your identity in a very detailed way (normally a driver's license or state ID card would suffice to prove your name goes with your face).

Because it's something from the days before two-factor authentication and the numbering scheme is based around the region you were born, fraud happens. Companies have data leaks and that's the most valuable piece of data.

It sounds like if Apple uses the last 4 digits (it's 9 total), it's a very basic verification with your name and those digits against something that's already out there, which Square Cash has also done.

Every checking and savings account I've opened has required it as a step to prevent fraud. Every credit card has required it as I was applying for credit and it was run against credit reports. Apple Pay Cash is basically opening a checking account with Green Dot, so I suspect it falls into the first category, rather than the second.

 

[M2M]

I really feel that this particular feature will be a tipping point for many people to finally get into cashless day to day life and understand it’s not that scary.

Really ? I don’t think so specifically as this is bound only to Apple. That’s what makes WeChat more successful. Can send money and it’s out there for virtually every (mobile) platform.

 

[User 6502]

This is going to be huge

Not really, but it will be nice to have. Except it will be US only at lunch so actually it will be rather small for quite a while.

 

[lolkthxbai]

I'm just waiting for someone to find the inevitable way(s) to abuse this with a rewards-focused credit card where the rewards points outweigh the 3% hit.

i wonder if the transaction would be considered a cash advance and if so do those transactions get the rewards bonus too?

 

[HylianKnight]

Not much help for me as very few businesses where I am accept it.


How is that done?

I’ve found a lot of businesses now with the nfc readers accept Apple Pay despite claiming not to. I think it is often a case of uninformed employees

 

[KittyKatta]

I really feel that this particular feature will be a tipping point for many people to finally get into cashless day to day life and understand it’s not that scary.

There’s one thing that will be the roadblock to mass adoption:

“it asks customers to verify their identity with name, address, and social security number.”

Yes, I know a SS number is hardly a private thing anymore and we all have examples of situations where we give it out or excuses on how “it’s no big deal”. But still. Unless its for a house or a car, when people see a request for your entire Social Secuity number then they tend re-evaluate how important it is to finish that form.

I’m going to love ApplePay, but I have to admit that requiring a SS does seem excessive just for me to get paid back $5 for splitting a bill.

 

[xDKP]

I dont think i ever needed to send a friend money to begin with ... ? I make my own money

Now gimme iMessages in the Cloud

We have a similar system in Denmark called MobilePay and it’s been adopted by almost our entire population - from old to young. It’s massively convinient when buying a gift with someone to bring to a birthday, when splitting a restaurant bill (don’t be that table that wants to split payment into five credit cards) and lots and lots of other stuff.

 

[sw1tcher]

I think US govt requires banks to ask for social to open accounts. something about fighting the war on terror.

I don't want to open a bank account though. I just want to be able to send small amounts of money to people like with Venmo or Square Cash. I don't need to give Venmo or Square Cash my SS#. Why should I give it to Apple?

Also since the Apple Pay Cash card stores funds, federal law requires identification for who owns the account. So in essence you are opening a virtual checking account.

Venmo stores funds. It doesn't require a SS#

 

[HylianKnight]

Venmo doesn't required a SS#, and in the instance that they do (you want to send $300 or more in one week period; you want to transfer $1,000 or more to your bank in one week; or you want to create a group account), they only ask for the last 4.

Is Apple asking for the whole # or just the last 4? Maybe we can get some clarification on this as I'm understanding it to be the whole #

EDIT.... unblocked the images and I see it's just the last 4, so that's not as bad. But does Apple require it no matter what amount? Should only be required if amount being sent is over a certain amount like Venmo.

Obviously the details of person to person Apple Pay are still murky, and I’m curious to see how they handle security of bank account numbers. That said, I know the appeal of regular Apple Pay for me is that stores NEVER get my card number. I’m not 100% certain about this, but I don’t think Venmo works the same way.
[doublepost=1507967031][/doublepost]

I liked the idea, until I read this "The Apple Pay Cash setup process can be seen in the screenshot below -- it asks customers to verify their identity with name, address, and social security number." Not to mention iCloud account whitelisted.

With the recent hack of Equifax and other high profile companies lately, I don't feel comfortable giving Apple such a critical piece of information. I would rather have a special PIN code I create, along with my ID password and Touch ID or Facial ID confirmation, instead of my Social Security number.

I’ll get flak for this, but I trust Apple Security with my SSN much more so than I trust the actually Social Security Administration. As for equifax, they admitted to taking a lackadaisical approach to security. Apple on the other hand has so far been very serious about security and privacy.

 

[Piggie]

As most people don't have Apple phones, what's the point?
No one would invent a physical coin that the minority of people have.

Payment like this needs to work irrespective of the platform.

 

[predation]

I want some ramen now.

 

[littyboy]

I really feel that this particular feature will be a tipping point for many people to finally get into cashless day to day life and understand it’s not that scary.

How's this any better than Venmo though? Which is MULTI-platform.

 

[JLL]

It's not that scary...only when everyone is on board and we have one standard, instead of Samsung, Google, and Apple wanting their greedy fingers in the pie and want to own it all.

"Can I pay you by ApplePay?"

"No. Do you accept Google Wallet?"

"No. How about PayPal?"

"No, sorry. Ok, here's $20 in cash then."

Both Apple Pay and Android Pay work as a standard contactless card.

 

[Jsameds]

Not really, but it will be nice to have. Except it will be US only at lunch so actually it will be rather small for quite a while.

Nah it will be huge. In future it’ll be the thing people refer back to as the death knell for cash.