Could the other regions help the Apple Pay cause?

[iamasmith]

I've seen a few threads with various chains in the USA switching off Apple Pay support and saying they will be supporting some other consortium or their own app.

In the UK we have a well established NFC network, albeit with some charge limitations, and would see infringement of the use of a technology like Apple Pay in the same way as an embargo on a particular bank.. we would go elsewhere to conduct our business if the vendor didn't support our bank.

How do you guys in the states feel about this discrimination? - it's clearly not 'we haven't decided to support' but 'we actively did a lot of work so that your payment system won't work' it seems so they can get some extra benefits and just the same as them saying they won't support somebody like Amex.

 

[Bromeo]

I always remind myself that large corporations often behave like an irrational person. It's simply the result of many, many cooks in the kitchen, various conflicting management decisions, back-room deals, and putting today's profits ahead of the long term. I also see companies putting the shareholders and executive team first, products second, employees third, and customers last... or variations on that theme.

Smaller businesses, like my own, survive on putting employees and customers first while retaining them with superior products and services.

Given a choice I have found myself selecting merchants who accept ApplePay, all things otherwise being equal. I have also sent feedback in support of ApplePay to two of three grocery store chains who currently do not accept it in my area. I mentioned in my feedback that I am finding myself shopping at their competitor's stores which do accept ApplePay as it benefits me in security, privacy, and convenience. Both times I received thoughtful emails back.

The worst experience was at CVS Pharmacy. CVS made news after disabling NFC when ApplePay came out. I recently shopped there, and I tried ApplePay. The NFC terminal actually lit up and tried to process the transaction, then the sale resulted in an error message. The sales clerk said "Oh, our terminals are too old-fashioned to support Apple. We have our own app for payments that works much better and gives you coupons!" I paid with cash and said I value my privacy far more than the coupons pay out. Last time I shop there.