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Apple Now Selling Square's New NFC Reader for Apple Pay and Contactless Payments
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Apple has an terribly ugly case that they put on their iPhone in the Apple Store that allows them to accept Apple Pay and credit cards. It also has a scanner built in. Apple should buy Square so they can get their design folks to help Jony out. Square has a very nice simple Apple-like design. In addition, with Apple's backing, Square could finally expand overseas and really help Apple Pay get better penetration.
Come on Tim, this seems like a really smart investment, even if not as sexy as buying beats.
Come on Tim, this seems like a really smart investment, even if not as sexy as buying beats.
dennysanders
macrumors 6502
I have used both a credit card and debit card for 30+ years and have yet to have either of them compromised - Where do you shop?
69Mustang
macrumors 604
This is all sweet and good, but I'd give my eye teeth if I could program my phone to open the doors at the 5 different buildings I have to work in and stop carrying around all these door key cards!
American Hero
Suspended
I'll tell you if I had a small business I would have this reader and an iPad... You can't beat the price.
If I had a large business, I'd have the MX925's, because they're the most vivid and beautiful payment machines around today.
If I had a large business, I'd have the MX925's, because they're the most vivid and beautiful payment machines around today.
ZebraDude
macrumors 65816
It's just a example of the numerous breaches that are still occurring. Shopping at any merchant who keeps card information is rolling the dice.
Kaibelf
Suspended
For me, instead of CVS, I go across the street to Walgreen's. Instead of Mariano's, I go down the block to Jewel. It's really not that hard to find stores that accept NFC anymore.
As a square customer you get these for FREE. At least I did.
Still in the box as I put in cc numbers by hand into the app.
GoodWheaties
macrumors 6502a
Home Depot was hacked a couple years ago, I believe at least one other major retailer was hacked as well in the last few years, maybe Target? I've had my cards replaced 2 or 3 times in the last year because of unauthorized activity.
ZebraDude
macrumors 65816
last year my credit card was compromised and cloned. I found out that it happened as I was paying for lunch at a diner in Naperville, IL. The same time as the cloner was using the cloned card to buy auto parts in CA.
rdlink
macrumors 68040
Your card number can be stolen almost anywhere. Give your card to a waitperson. It can be stolen between the table and whatever hidden place they go to run the charge. Give your card to a website. It can be stolen from their systems. Slide your card in a store reader. A skimmer might be on it.
I'm not saying that I drive around town all day looking for stores that accept Apple Pay. But when a store installs new readers that have NFC capability but doesn't enable it, or if they purposely turn it off to keep people from using contactless I make it known that they're losing my business until they fix it. Also, if there are two merchants who offer a similar shopping experience and one takes Apple Pay, but the other one doesn't I will patronize the one that does, and make sure the one that I don't use knows why.
Case in point, I will drive across the street to use Sprouts instead of King Soopers in those instances where they both have what I need.
They don't age well, IMO, especially since people are going to be using the touchscreen in the US far more than elsewhere. IKEA's already have deep gorges in their screens from people signing for their purchases.
No keypad, but since the US isn't bothering with the PIN part of chip and PIN there's not much of a point in adding one. Downside of course is that if we ever do, a whole bunch of small businesses will be very unhappy about having to replace their terminals/card readers again so quickly.
Will that ever happen? I doubt it, especially since both Visa and MasterCard are looking to move away from PIN altogether. And if we do it'll likely be at least a decade because we were short-sighted enough to basically need terminals and cards replaced.
I think he was referring to the magstripe reader. That was what Square used before now, and it's still needed for cards that only have magstripes.
Square was offering to assume reliability for cloned-card fraud if a merchant would just commit to buying this NFC/chip reader, once it was available.
Frankly this is going to be what kills Apple Pay more than anything else. Chip and signature basically allows merchants to keep their old/bad habits, including things like restaurants continuing to take cards away from tables.
BuddyTronic
macrumors 68000
Exactly.
We have had "tap to pay" for something like 6 years and it's total crap. Many (most) merchants here have a post it note taped on the handheld terminal that says "NO TAP TO PAY". If you ask the clerk, they are clueless about it and just tell you it doesn't work.
The LCD screen tells you to tap, and then you try, and then it says "insert card".
Totally messed up.
No wonder Apple Pay can't function in Canada - we have had chip cards and tap to pay for so long and the banks are still lagging on this technology so badly that I think most people in Canada hate tap to pay.
If you are going to have it - make it work!
I hope Apple serves to straighten this mess out.
Meanwhile in USA where banks are like Kool Aid stands (I mean "backwards"), anything goes, and they are dreaming when they will be getting a chip on their Visa card. Strange world that most Americans will be oblivious to I believe.
Home Depot and Target are the largest retailers in recent years. There have been smaller ones, like some Jimmie John's franchises. Here's an article about ones BEFORE Target:
http://money.cnn.com/gallery/technology/security/2013/12/19/biggest-credit-card-hacks/index.html
It is the same situation in the UK. I've notified Amex so many times, but nothing has been done.
rdlink
macrumors 68040
Frankly, the implication that because I have been victimized by thieves somehow means I am shopping in shady places is insulting, and reflects a true ignorance of reality on your part.
If you haven't had a credit or debit card compromised you should consider yourself lucky. Over 31.8 million people in the US had a credit card compromised in 2014 alone.
There were over 1500 data breaches recorded in 2014. About 24% of those breaches occurred in the retail or financial services sectors. That means that every time you put your credit card out there you are at risk of it getting stolen, either on the spot or when someone you trusted with the information doesn't adequately protect it.
Oh, and I have used credit and debit cards for over 35 years.
69Mustang
macrumors 604
I've no doubt numerous breaches occur. There seems to be a high profile breach at least 3-4 times a year. My query was specific to rdlink's quote about being tired of having his credit card numbers stolen; the implication being it has happened multiple times. If that is the case, ouch. That's some seriously bad luck. Info about a random breach really doesn't answer the question that was asked.
That was for the magstripe reader. It's still included with the NFC/EMV reader for free.
I presume you do mail order exclusively? You are paying higher card-not-present fees if you don't swipe a card.
Gruntersdad12
macrumors newbie
I'm sure Apple will be getting 10% of the 49.00 so every time we wish to sell something Apple gets it's cut. The greed just grows and grows.