Apple Pay Rewards Program to Debut at WWDC

[mazz0]

@ all my fellow Britons complaining about how many Apple services aren't available over here

I know it's annoying, but you can't blame Apple. America is their home market, and it's also a very large, significantly homogeneous market.

That first point is important - I'm sure if an Apple or Google grew up in Britain we'd get their products earlier, but they don't. A lot of this is due to cultural differences - America has a more dynamic, ruthless capitalist culture that creates companies like Apple and all the benefits that brings. We have a somewhat more tame capitalist culture with many socialist tendancies, so while we don't have Apples and Google (and the best private services) we do have the NSH, decent welfare, etc. Swings and roundabouts, as the saying goes.

As for the second point, the solution to that problem is a massive push to a single market in services at the European level. If releasing a service in Europe (the world's largest economic block) was as easy as releasing it in the US I'm pretty sure we'd get a much higher priority.

 

[newdeal]

Suffice to say, Apple Pay is a bust.

(Thanks to non-compliant and greedy retailers.)

It may or may not be a bust in the USA but there are plenty of countries where it would do very well. In Canada I would say around 80% or more of terminals have tap to pay already, I basically use it exclusively with my credit card (although some of the bigger retailers are still lagging like Home Depot and Walmart). Many gas pumps even have tap to pay

 

[bbeagle]

Any statistics to back up your claim ?

http://9to5mac.com/2015/01/27/tim-cook-apple-pay-accounts-for-2-out-of-every-3-spent-with-contactless-payments-other-stats/

If you have statistics that prove otherwise, please show me.

 

[rdlink]

Heh. Buy $12,000 of merchandise with Apple Pay get a free iPad Mini 1st gen.

Which is about the same as every other reward program out there...

 

[b0nd18t]

Cool new feature. Now all Apple Pay needs is to actually work somewhere.

 

[iSee]

I'm thinking this will be a rewards card type of thing where certain cards used with Apple Pay will get extra rewards (cash back or maybe Apple Store or iTunes credit).

1 free U2 album

U2 Album.

If the joke is that obvious, should you really be making it?

 

[Crzyrio]

Which is about the same as every other reward program out there...

Except here you will still get rewards from your existing Credit Card + Rewards from Apple Pay.

 

[seatton]

A friend of mine who works at Apple says they are negotiating the apple pay reward that would allow you to get points when purchasing anything at Samsung stores using Apple Pay

 

[bawbac]

Does anyone believe Apple is concerned about CurrentC?

Do you think Blockbuster was concerned with Netflix?

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Put the reward program in place and the merchants know who I am.

It's odd that most people do NOT realize this personal skimming done on your purchases.
Then they can't figure out why all they get all this spam in email & standard mail for products.

 

[Keirasplace]

Yeah, I remember way back when before Apple invented the word "Pay". It was a confusing time.

Right... I'm just going to pretend you didn't know what people meant by that and your not being dense on purpose; cause there was absolutely no other way to name their thing, no other way at all... Oh, there were... Hundreds of different ways... Yet "choose" that name. Oops OK then....

Yes, it was a confusing time before people pretended not to understand basic no imagination marketing moves and resorted to quips instead.

They named it that way to piggyback on the other Apple' publicity and pretend it is an equivalent (doesn't matter if it is really or not). A classic cheap marketing move really; also classic Google....

 

[mazz0]

Right... I'm just going to pretend you didn't know what people meant by that and you're not being dense on purpose; cause there was absolutely no other way to name their thing, no other way at all... Oh, there were... Hundreds of different ways... Yet "choose" that name. Oops OK then....

Your logic is flawed. The fact that there were other ways to name it does not prove that they "copied" the naming idea, or that Apple were remotely imaginative, creative or original in coming up with it in the first place ( think the best word for what they were is "careful" or "thoughtful"). There are very few names they could have used that would be quite as simple and clear. Wallet was one, I suppose "Money" could be another, maybe "Purse", maybe "card" or "debit". I honestly don't think there are many, and I'd actually be very surprised if "Pay" didn't come up in Google's original brain storm before they settled on "Wallet" (although they'd probably have gone with something less simple like "Payment").

That's not so say that your inference is incorrect, of course, merely that it involves a strong assumption.

 

[Keirasplace]

Your logic is flawed. The fact that there were other ways to name it does not prove that they "copied" the naming idea, or that Apple were remotely imaginative, creative or original in coming up with it in the first place ( think the best word for what they were is "careful" or "thoughtful"). There are very few names they could have used that would be quite as simple and clear. Wallet was one, I suppose "Money" could be another, maybe "Purse", maybe "card" or "debit". I honestly don't think there are many, and I'd actually be very surprised if "Pay" didn't come up in Google's original brain storm before they settled on "Wallet" (although they'd probably have gone with something less simple like "Payment").

That's not so say that your inference is incorrect, of course, merely that it involves a strong assumption.

My assumption is not that Apple's own name is imaginative; it is obviously not. A bland name. Most Apple product name are name really imaginative anyway; more made to be easy to remember and sell. Almost utilitarian.
So, you're going beyond what I said.

I merely responded to the claim that there was no other way for Google to name this thing. That they would have named it this way even if Apple had not. That's obviously not the case.

They choose this one SPECIFICALLY because it was Apple's name. The lack of imagination is not in the name, but in the tactic; which is well worn and yes, cheap (especially because they're NOT exactly the same). And yes, cheap in the way they don't have to sell their service, they just let Apple sell it.

 

[Alenore]

http://9to5mac.com/2015/01/27/tim-cook-apple-pay-accounts-for-2-out-of-every-3-spent-with-contactless-payments-other-stats/

If you have statistics that prove otherwise, please show me.

I don't, it was a genuine question :3 Thanks!

 

[Dub1ous]

Suffice to say, Apple Pay is a bust.

(Thanks to non-compliant and greedy retailers.)

Way too early to call it a bust, IMO. I think it's only a matter of time before those retails give in (See: Best Buy).

----------

Do you think Blockbuster was concerned with Netflix?

I don't think that's an apt comparison. In order for it to be, CurrentC would have to be embracing an entirely new direction in the industry that consumers would actually like more. CurrentC seems worse for the consumer in pretty much every way.

 

[the8thark]

I want Apple Pay 2.0 to kill the paper receipt. So freaking wasteful. I just want it e-mailed to be so there's zero chance I lose it.

My local Apple store does this. The store person uses the little machine to take the money from my card and when I get home I have the receipt waiting for me as an email.

I'm more worried about the paper receipts fading over time. I have a few that within 6 months are illegible thanks to fading. A digital receipt does not face over time thankfully.

 

[Col4bin]

It may or may not be a bust in the USA but there are plenty of countries where it would do very well. In Canada I would say around 80% or more of terminals have tap to pay already, I basically use it exclusively with my credit card (although some of the bigger retailers are still lagging like Home Depot and Walmart). Many gas pumps even have tap to pay

To your point, it's interesting that Apple has not opened Apple Pay to the rest of the world as of yet? I see many posts from folks in the U.K. echoing these same sentiments. You would think by now most countries legalalities would have been worked out?

 

[amnichols10]

This also hurts "all-in-one" cards (coin, plastc, etc.) as well. Once this gets some traction it's gonna be hard to justify

 

[Col4bin]

Way too early to call it a bust, IMO. I think it's only a matter of time before those retails give in (See: Best Buy).

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I don't think that's an apt comparison. In order for it to be, CurrentC would have to be embracing an entirely new direction in the industry that consumers would actually like more. CurrentC seems worse for the consumer in pretty much every way.

True. I should have added, "...to this point". Clearly the sky is the limit, but until Apple can add this functionality to other global markets, and the retail partners begin to comply, Apple Pay will continue to be stuck in the mud (in the U.S. at least).

 

[Silver Box]

@ all my fellow Britons complaining about how many Apple services aren't available over here

I know it's annoying, but you can't blame Apple. America is their home market, and it's also a very large, significantly homogeneous market.

That first point is important - I'm sure if an Apple or Google grew up in Britain we'd get their products earlier, but they don't. A lot of this is due to cultural differences - America has a more dynamic, ruthless capitalist culture that creates companies like Apple and all the benefits that brings. We have a somewhat more tame capitalist culture with many socialist tendancies, so while we don't have Apples and Google (and the best private services) we do have the NSH, decent welfare, etc. Swings and roundabouts, as the saying goes.

As for the second point, the solution to that problem is a massive push to a single market in services at the European level. If releasing a service in Europe (the world's largest economic block) was as easy as releasing it in the US I'm pretty sure we'd get a much higher priority.

I can get a tiny bit annoyed when they announce what has turned out to be US only service on a global product. Mastercard, Visa and AmEx are global companies. So are a number of the retailers. If they cant dot the "i's" and cross the "t's" and deliver, don't announce it then pretend a delay didn't happen. The problem is the expectation was set... and the other slightly worrying thing is this trend, first iTunes Radio, now Apple Pay. We're not 2nd class citizens!?

If i was a competitor id be banging down the doors of every bank across Asia and Europe rather than go toe to toe in the States. I have emailed my bank to ask about a release and they've told me to communicate with Apple. Apple obviously wont even reply lol. Go figure.

Apple have got until mid September until warranties start to expire, i feel sorry for customers that find their NFC chip or Touch ID failed before the service is even released lol.

 

[AdonisSMU]

Your logic is flawed. The fact that there were other ways to name it does not prove that they "copied" the naming idea, or that Apple were remotely imaginative, creative or original in coming up with it in the first place ( think the best word for what they were is "careful" or "thoughtful"). There are very few names they could have used that would be quite as simple and clear. Wallet was one, I suppose "Money" could be another, maybe "Purse", maybe "card" or "debit". I honestly don't think there are many, and I'd actually be very surprised if "Pay" didn't come up in Google's original brain storm before they settled on "Wallet" (although they'd probably have gone with something less simple like "Payment").

That's not so say that your inference is incorrect, of course, merely that it involves a strong assumption.

Yeah but I said so much more than that. I brought up the copied features and one could also bring up Google's past history.

 

[melgross]

Sure, but when 2/3rds of all Apple Pay users are having issues at checkout, it's not exactly a ringing endorsement for using Apple's system. That lofty 1.2m+ POS partners might be a stretch if people aren't using it either. Not exactly sure who or what's to blame for these problems to date, but Apple Pay seemingly has a long way to go before gaining any traction with the mainstream public.

https://www.macrumors.com/2015/03/31/apple-pay-checkout-problems/

I'm not concerned about that. Notice that that survey was done in February. It's now almost June. Many of those problems will have been resolved. Something new like this always has teething problems.

 

[Michael Goff]

I see Google just announced it Android Pay which is basically a copy of Apple Pay according to the NYT.

You do know NFC payments existed before Apple Pay, right? :\

 

[melgross]

Hopefully it will be possible to opt-out. I don't like loyalty programs. You pay for the "rewards" by giving up your privacy and allowing the retailer to profile you for marketing purposes.

If you want rewards, just register a cash back or reward credit card in Apple Pay ...

You don't opt out of loyalty programs. You have to opt in. It's a very deliberate process. You have to decide to do it. If you don't like it, you can leave. Delete the app, and you're done.

 

[melgross]

Nyc does have it....in taxis and duane reade and the mom and pop delis nyc is litered with have it. I used passbook apps for starbucks and at my gym.

Yes, I know this. Duane Reade is owned by Walgreens, by the way. I was talking specific things that would be widespread. I'm sure there are a lot of minor retailers who do accept it here. I mentioned Starbucks, which is NOT Apple Pay yet. They have to scan the app in Passbook for payment.

 

[mazz0]

They choose this one SPECIFICALLY because it was Apple's name.

You don't know that though. The number of logical names they could choose for the rebranding is actually pretty limited.