Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Pay Rival CurrentC Launching in Limited Trial Next Month as Exclusivity Expires
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
They are in iOS 9. This was a huge thing during the reveal. They already have partners. I think the deal is it still cost the company 3% ish in transaction cost when you use that as payment.
In the article they mention another company that has a payment system that does not require an iPhone that use NFC.
Somebody be merciful and put a bullet in it. It's DOA with Apple Pay and Google Pay.
There is no room for a third platform.
There is no room for a third platform.
So, with CurrectC, I double-click the button on my Watch, hold it over the payment terminal, and I get haptic feedback when the transaction is accepted, all taking about 3 seconds to perform?
Yeah, I thought not...
Yeah, I thought not...
CurrentC would be a fourth platform, as Samsung would take a spot in the mobile payments list.
If the Current C barcode launched from Passbook much like my Starbucks card, I could see using it. My phone is often in my hand as I wait on line to pay at Starbucks, so it is easy to use the card. I don't mind pre-loading that with $20 every now and then. It isn't like I get real interest for the cash sitting in my bank account. (No 0.01% does not count as real interest. I lose more valuable time in my life opening the 1099-INT for the account at the end of the year than it is worth.) But I won't link something like this to my checking account. That ain't happening.
And yes, Apple Pay is much easier and more secure. I am looking forward to that being available more places.
And yes, Apple Pay is much easier and more secure. I am looking forward to that being available more places.
There is also Google Wallet soon to be called Android Pay for Android phones, which works at the exact same places as Apple Pay. So both iPhone 6 and Android users can pay for stuff in a similar way. But yeah I wonder if Best Buy is waiting until next month to turn on Apple Pay in their stores?
Punctuation is free.
On topic: CurrentC seems to be beneficial in one direction only; towards businesses. Consumers seem to be an afterthought in their plan.
But the retailers think this will be great - they want to tie it directly to your checking account (you know the retailers like Target etc. that keep getting hacked) and, wait, that's not all - they also give themselves the right to own / share all your shopping details with each other (and anyone with an NSL). Doesn't that sound like a great deal? Not...It's amazing these execs who came up with this thought it was a viable plan.
What a freaking joke. Even for family/friends who don't have iPhones I would stay far away from this service. They want full checking account numbers, personal info, and have already been hacked prior to launch.
I'm glad Visa/MC/AMEX/etc. are protecting their customers from this scam.
I'm glad Visa/MC/AMEX/etc. are protecting their customers from this scam.
Android will have Android Pay (and some phones have NFC-enabled Google Wallet that also enables mobile payment). And for others, they can always use credit and debit cards.
The last thing we want is market fragmentation.
This is the dumbest concept since Circuit City came up with DIVX, and that's saying something. Who reviewed the business plan for these schemes? At least Best Buy was smart (or desperate) enough to change course and accept Apple Pay.
If I have an alternative, I will go out of my way to stores that accept NFC payments. For example, I've been a CVS customer for years. But they turned off NFC payments, which affects not only Apple Pay but also my WF Visa which has NFC. I chose not to do business with companies that have customer hostile policies.
If I have an alternative, I will go out of my way to stores that accept NFC payments. For example, I've been a CVS customer for years. But they turned off NFC payments, which affects not only Apple Pay but also my WF Visa which has NFC. I chose not to do business with companies that have customer hostile policies.
Is the U.S. Government running the show at CurrentC or something? How in three years have they managed to come up with this awful of a system? Talk about missing the boat by a solid decade.
I wish retailers would shut off support for the magnetic stripe cards in October and only support microchip cards and NFC payments. A sheet of paper with tape saying, "we no longer support magnetic striped cards," would be awesome to see.
I still have no idea as to whether or not chip & pin payments, as well as Apple Pay will ever become the norm in the U.S at this point. I tried to use the EMV reader at Hess this morning, and nothing happened. After a couple of seconds, the lady took the card and swiped it on her machine on the register. I'm like, "Uh, hello? I'm trying to pay this way, like I should be able to at this point."
I still have no idea as to whether or not chip & pin payments, as well as Apple Pay will ever become the norm in the U.S at this point. I tried to use the EMV reader at Hess this morning, and nothing happened. After a couple of seconds, the lady took the card and swiped it on her machine on the register. I'm like, "Uh, hello? I'm trying to pay this way, like I should be able to at this point."
Chance of really making a dent = ZERO. At least as it stands now, this will not make a dent. Credit card companies want chips or tokenization, not bar codes and hacked servers. Customers want convenience, not hacked servers. Right now MCX does not offer what either the credit card companies or the consumers want. Not convenient. Not secure. Not going to survive. Only chance they have is to make a 180 and develop a different approach, which is not likely.
The beauty of ApplePay is that consumers don't have to sign over their first born to use it - and CurrentC wants my checking account?
Why would any consumer use a system that gives the retailer EVERYTHING and the consumer so little? So asinine and arrogant of them to think consumers are so idiotic.
Why would any consumer use a system that gives the retailer EVERYTHING and the consumer so little? So asinine and arrogant of them to think consumers are so idiotic.
Punctuation is free.
On topic: CurrentC seems to be beneficial in one direction only; towards businesses. Consumers seem to be an afterthought in their plan.
agreed on the second part....as for the punctuation sorry grammar is not my strength good news is you understood what i meant
Lol at these retailers thinking my shopping data is worth anything. Maybe at grocery stores and drugstores where my shopping habits are pretty consistent it matters. And for that they have my club cards to use. I freely give up that data because so far nobody is bugging me with targeted ads for deodorant or toothpaste or if they are, I don't notice it, so I don't care. And I get lower prices or the illusion of lower prices out of the deal, so there's at least that, lol.
But at Target and Sears? What good does it do them to know that I bought a package of bed linens or curtains when I make that sort of purchase only once every few years? Underwear and socks? Who cares? There isn't a whole lot to be predicted or controlled via any data they could glean from my eclectic purchases from those retailers. How often am I going to buy a clothes hamper in my lifetime?
For that sort of data, or to foist off their own store credit cards, they are going to turn their noses up at a secure payment method that customers want. It makes me grumpy. I got rid of all my store credit cards years ago because they were more bother and generated more spam than they were worth.
Anyone who allows direct access to their bank account on a retail level has got to be CRAZY!!!
Trouble is there are many who will. After all we are playing to the lowest common denominator