CVS Stores Reportedly Disabling NFC to Shut Down Apple Pay and Google Wallet

Damn you CVS. I'm stuck with CVS because my company only provides prescription discounts through CVS Caremark..kinda locked in until my company moves to an new provider like Walgreens.
 
Stewie said:
And it cost them nothing to accept apple pay or google wallet.
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Actually it does because the merchant will be paying the same 'swipe' fee they do now.

As I understand it the MCX is an attempt to bypass this fee. Whether it will be successful only time will tell but it's not surprising the merchants who signed on are attempting this. Those swipe fees are big $$$.

My prediction, MCX will fail because too many people want to pay with credit/debit cards. And once the consumer understands that it's a direct withdrawal from a checking account they will understand that they are giving access to their checking account to merchants. And EVERYONE has heard of hacking.

No, MCX will fail but it will take a year or two. Or until a hack takes place and peoples checking accounts ge cleaned out. I wonder exactly what protections will be in place. Such as how much encryption they will use or if they (MCX) accepts liability and how much $$$ that coverage covers.

Edit: one more thing, the reason credit card use has rocketed is the fraud protection from the banks. does anyone know if MCX offers something similar?
 
dwsolberg said:
The credit card processing fees represents 2% or more of purchases, and retailers working with narrow profit margins obviously want to get more of that share for themselves.

Unfortunately for CVS and RiteAid, deliberately limiting consumer options to drive consumers to use your future system is just bad business. This is similar in many ways to DRM, where you want consumers to operate in your ecosystem. It's also similar to DRM in that consumers will actively avoid these limitations.

Even worse, these companies don't yet have an alternative. After using Apple Pay, it's easy to tell this is the best possible consumer experience, and retailers aren't going to be able to either hide the convenience of ApplePay or create an equally good system. (Technically, they probably could create an equally good system, but that would require putting the customer first, which is against their primary motivation to make more money.)

There's a lot of money at stake, so I understand why retailers want to build their own payment system. However, they're too late to the game. This will be an epic fight, and Apple (and probably Google in a year or so) will be the winner. Deliberately limiting customers is going to push people to other retailers and possibly to more online purchases.
Click to expand...

This isn't war isn't about Apple or Google...it's about merchants vs. VISA/MC/AMEX. They credit card companies received an unexpected ally with a broad consumer base and a brand they'll go to battle for to help fight the war for them. And it also explains why they were so quick to give Apple a cut of the pie.....
 
AZREOSpecialist said:
You sound like someone who is happy to do what he is told. Most of us don't subscribe to the sheeple attitude. Good luck to you.
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No, Moto G sounds like one of the very few adults here. When I read the mindless fanboy vomit that Apple-sheeple dare to pound out on their weenie little wireless keyboards it becomes obvious how Apple can offer such junk products such as the latest base iMac and the entire line of new minis and stay in business.

Sometimes after reading the MacRumors forums I'm so embarrassed to be an Apple product owner that I want to sell mine and go somewhere else. Unfortunately my latest Mac just arrived yesterday so I'll suck it up and remain among the apparently small numbers of Apple owners who are grownups.
 
CurrentC

Evidently, Walmart, Target, Best Buy and CVS are the big names that have signed on to use this other, seemingly, lame system called CurrentC, scheduled for rollout sometime in 2015. I say lame because according to their website (CurrentC.com) it does not use NFC technology but instead uses a proprietary app and stores credit card information in their own cloud (sounds really secure, huh?). Also, it appears that they will limit what cards will be able to be used with their system based on this quote from their site under "Pay"... "Use your checking accounts, store gift cards and select store debit and credit cards." Note the words, "select STORE debit and credit cards". Like Walmart's own Visa, etc?

If you're interested in giving CVS feedback on this misguided decision, here is the direct link:

https://secure.opinionlab.com/ccc01...m/&height=1024&width=768&custom_var=undefined
 
AZREOSpecialist said:
This isn't about iPhone 6, get your head out of the sand. Google Wallet is also affected, and that affects a lot more devices. Why are you defending Rite-Aid and CVS? That seems like an odd thing for a consumer to do.
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Ha! The adoption rate for Google wallet is dismal. If it weren't this post probably wouldn't exist.
 
aaanorton said:
Can you even imagine the board/strategy meetings over at Walgreens right now? Picture a bunch of stoic, older white guys in the mid-west running around doing high-fives and cartwheels all over the place.
Both of their main competitors have told their respective customers that they don't want their dirty money and to take it some place where the merchant will accept payments unconditionally.
Bullies are rarely known for their insight, thoughtfulness, and big-picture thinking.
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Is there a list of merchants that accept NFC. If not just because I want to "flash my fan boy iPhone 6" but also because of security. Where can I find a list of merchants that I will now be loyal to?
 
So CVS isn't accepting ApplePay because it's working on its own form of payment? Hasn't this been tried before?
simpsons_i-and-s_money.jpg
 
Looks like HD DVD vs BLURAY all over again.

Now it's Mobile Wallet vs Google Wallet vs Apple Pay.
 
RedOrchestra said:
Park it already, would ya'. The iPhone 6 demographic can't even be found on a graph.
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You're right. 10 million in the first weekend alone is *nothing*. Doesn't even register on a graph. Lol. And that was the first weekend. And it's been how many weekends since? And lead times for the phones have only gotten longer. And Apple Watch will enable all the pre-iPhone 6 phones to use Apple Pay as well? :rolleyes:

One of us should park it. But, I think you're somewhere in the back 40. Paying for things w/ sheep, goats, cows, and chickens .... I'll write you a letter and *mail* it. :D :D
 
Call on all iPhone users to boycott MCX payment system wherever they find it. Looks like this will be another Betamax/VHS battle. Obviously there is money to be made and rather than have an open system allowing multiple types of NFC transactions, MCX wants to restrict things.

Once again the consumer is placed last on the list as far as service, and usability is concerned. Since the NFC systems being used were accepting Applepay, it's wasn't a problem of the hardware allowing multiple paying formats.

I would advocate an open system allowing multiple payment system partners, but that's not how the free enterprise system works. So lets's see what system will overpower whom over the next year or so. Personally I pay cash whenever possible, as I dislike the tracking of my purchases on general privacy principles. Having a war go on between providers, just convinces me to keep cash king. I'm not going to start searching between payment systems at checkout.

What do others think about all this?
 
Privacy and Security - SPOT ON!!!

mantan said:
I think we all need to look beyond this individual battle/issue and look at the much bigger fundamental war that's about to be waged.

This isn't about CVS not liking Apple Pay or iPhone 6 users. Frankly, it's not even really about Apple at all.

The whole Merchant Customer Exchange initiative is about trying to cut the credit card companies and the hundreds of billions spent on transaction fees out of equation.

The thinking is that if they move to an MCX barcode system (via the CurrentC app) that's linked to your ACH bank card or store card number they save money on every transaction.

The advantage to them, in addition to saving billions in transaction fees is they get to harvest customer data on every sale. Similar to the 'reward card at the grocery store', Target, Best Buy Walmart, CVS and other members would be able to gather (and potentially share) data on all of their customers.

They will likely link some sort of discount/rewards program to it. It may be individual item discounts like grocery stores. It could be a flat discount (3% of purchases) or even a cash back program. Remember, they are going to save potentially billions on transaction fees..so giving some of that money back is a smart investment to encourage use.

The big battle that's going to be waged will be on privacy/security. I expect Visa/MC/Discover/AMEX and now Apple to team up on the front of EMV and Apple Pay solutions allow for anonymous transactions and are more secure than CurrentC. They'll especially play up the idea that your personal buying habits are being stored, shared and shopped. They'll also push the risk of potential exposure of your personal bank account info and question what fraud liability is in place. When debit cards first hit the scene, people were very wary about it being directly tied to their checking account. Limiting fraud liability helped people get over that hurdle.

As a customer I have mixed feelings. We all pay a higher cost for goods/services to mushroomed use of cc/debit cards. But I question how much savings we'd really see under an alternate system and question the privacy/security protocols that would be put in place.
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This is truly 100% about privacy and the merchant's inability to track you!! They make a huge amount of money off tracking/sale your spending habits.
 
tlevier said:
Now that it's confirmed that Rite Aid is actively thwarting my attempt to use Apple Pay, I am moving all of my prescriptions and taking whatever other business I had to either Walgreens, Kroger, or anywhere else. All they had to do was sit back and let the money come in. Since they want to block the money - I'll make sure their efforts are successful.
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Be sure to tell them point-blank why you are moving. That would be awesome to see their reaction. :)
 
Okay, they still take regular credit cards - right? Everyone use your AMEX card when buying anything at CVS or Rite aid. It has the highest transaction fees. Which is what they are trying to avoid.
 
...but will have our own mobile wallet next year.

That is what the memo said, last line. But they forgot the rest of the sentence.

...but will have our own mobile wallet next year that nobody will use.

Hey CVS, even Amazon got the message!
 
This is to send a message to management

Tubamajuba said:
Stop.

It does NOBODY any good to be rude to the innocent cashiers simply doing their job. If anything, they'll remember what you did to them and paint everybody that wants to use Apple Pay in the same light. Why would any company want to do business with a subset of customers that brash and disrespectful? Of course, the truth is that Apple users are no more or less hostile than the general population, but if you'd like to change that perception, go ahead and make the cashier's day miserable, as well as inconvenience everybody in line behind you.

Get some perspective, people.
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This is NOT intended to be rude or an act of arrogance to the cashier. (Their stock person who has to restock the rejected merchandise will still be paid her wages.) This is to send a general protest message. Her manager will note the customer dissatisfaction of the protesting customer over not being able to use this convenient and secure method of payment afforded by Apple Pay, and hopefully transmit these "incidents" to higher management which will hopefully even elevate all the way up to the headquarters suite. Many people purchased their iPhone 6 for this feature of secure and convenient shopping. And CVS and Rite Aide are prominent retailers, and thus should think twice about the message their intransigence is sending to the marketplace.
 
For everyone in this thread who cannot seem to understand why anybody would boycott a store that decides to turn off Apple Pay, I have two words for you:

Identity theft

Once you have to deal with that once, twice, or three or more times, you might be a little more understanding of why people get a little hot under the collar when they are not able to use a far more secure method of payment than swiping a credit or debit card.

And yes, I have just written to CVS to explain to them that I will be moving all of my prescriptions and business over to Walgreens.
 
Rite Aid - Wrong Help

Just tried at Rite Aid. Clerk told me that I put in the wrong PIN. What? PIN code? Tried again. No luck. Clerk just treated me like my card (apple pay) was declined. Not even sure if she understood the concept.....Guess they have their own plan. Why do I shop there, again? That's what I am asking myself.
 
Been a CVS customer for years. I fill all my prescriptions there and then some with the crap I buy as far as toiletries. I'll go to Walgreeens which is a little closer to me. Later CVS.
 
RedOrchestra said:
Yet ANOTHER mature MR forum poster. How old are you?
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Oh I will be boycotting those places too! And if you have read the some 16 pages. There are plenty boycotts and that's just those that have voiced their opinions here. Many have not and will be going to Walgreens!
 
humiston said:
Evidently, Walmart, Target, Best Buy and CVS are the big names that have signed on to use this other, seemingly, lame system called CurrentC, scheduled for rollout sometime in 2015. I say lame because according to their website (CurrentC.com) it does not use NFC technology but instead uses a proprietary app and stores credit card information in their own cloud (sounds really secure, huh?). Also, it appears that they will limit what cards will be able to be used with their system based on this quote from their site under "Pay"... "Use your checking accounts, store gift cards and select store debit and credit cards." Note the words, "select STORE debit and credit cards". Like Walmart's own Visa, etc?

If you're interested in giving CVS feedback on this misguided decision, here is the direct link:

https://secure.opinionlab.com/ccc01...m/&height=1024&width=768&custom_var=undefined
Click to expand...

I thought Target was going to allow Apple Pay thru their own App?

http://www.imore.com/updated-target-app-comes-new-design-apple-pay-support

Maybe Target is playing both sides to see who wins...otherwise why allow Apple Pay in their Apps?
 
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