It's about security, stupi......
Businesses like CVS and Rite Aid are totally free to make what ever business decisions they like, just as people are free to decide whether to shop with them or not.
IMHO, this is going to be, in the end, about personal privacy and security.
Too often large businesses are run by people who are at best disconnected from 'the average citizen' - they live in areas of their towns/cities where like-minded people live, and socialise in circles that aren't touched by the average citizen.
BoA, Target, and others of late who have suffered POS terminal and related hacks, have shown individuals just how insecure personal data is. Throw in revelations about government monitoring activities and what I see is a growing tide of concern about personal privacy and security, in a country where personal credit score has such wide-ranging impact - I'm not aware of any other country in the Developed World where credit scores are used so widely and have such impact...
So I can see people increasingly selecting retailers who are unable and unwilling to harvest such personal data, or don't have a strong reputation for security etc.
Big business has been wrong before, and I think it is wrong again here. And for all Apple's faults, and there are many, it just may be sincere in its desire to provide enhanced protection for consumers - especially if it drives increased sales/loyalty - after all, they are a business...