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

[SirROM]

My CVS Complaint...

Here’s what I sent to CVS Customer “[Dis]Service”:

I’m not sure why your company wants to offend its customers, but the choice to disallow NFC payments such as Google Wallet and Apple Pay is probably something that MBA and marketing students will be using as case examples of stupidity for decades to come. Business 101: When a customer wants to buy what you have, sell it to them. Make them want to come back and buy it again from YOU, not a competitor.

Customers that want to use these mobile payments are smart, have higher incomes and the willingness to spend it, and are also technologically knowledgeable. Sounds like the kind of customers you want to attract rather than annoy and disenfranchise.

Perhaps you should also remind yourself about what customer “service” means, but not to worry as I’m sure you’ll have fewer customers to worry about offending if your company keeps this policy in place for long. The customers you have left will turn you into another Kmart.

I’ll be taking my money and rewarding other merchants from now on so they can prosper, not you.

 

[sshambles]

Good luck with their own app system making it to either Google or Apple App Stores.

 

[Noble Actual]

Do people really think that the MCX app is going to stay on the Google/ Apple App stores after this stunt?

Those retailers are gonna back down pretty quickly when 1) they lose sales from Google/ Apple/ other NFC customers and 2) they have no app on the app stores to process payments from.

Haha. CurrentC get denied from App Store, Google Play Store, etc.

That would be pretty funny.

 

[samcraig]

Here's an idea:

Roll into CVS and FILL a shopping cart- I mean FILL it to overflowing.

After the cashier rings up your $200-$500 order, upon learning they wont take ApplePay, say, "Ok, oh well, forget this order, I need to run over to Walgreens"

An example of someone who not only hasn't read this thread but also lacks decency and maturity. Congrats!

 

[osofast240sx]

Apple wasn't the first to do mobile payments though... So technically, Apple is the one copying. Let's keep things in perspective here.

The perspective is that they are the first to do it right and it's a trend that they have that being to first if something is not always important

 

[spectrumfox]

Here's an idea:

Roll into CVS and FILL a shopping cart- I mean FILL it to overflowing.

After the cashier rings up your $200-$500 order, upon learning they wont take ApplePay, say, "Ok, oh well, forget this order, I need to run over to Walgreens"

That is probably the worst thing you can possibly do. Why would you willfully burden an innocent checker with your personal politics?

That's just wrong.

 

[mackinmike]

Oh no the travesty , people are not gonna shop at cvs be cuz of Apple pay. Cvs is doomed. Lol. Get real guys. Cvs isn't gonna even blink.

 

[billnye97]

Here's an idea:

Roll into CVS and FILL a shopping cart- I mean FILL it to overflowing.

After the cashier rings up your $200-$500 order, upon learning they wont take ApplePay, say, "Ok, oh well, forget this order, I need to run over to Walgreens"

Right because the poor retail clerk making $8 bucks an hour deserves to put all that crap back. That person isn't one dictating policy. All you do is make that clerks life crappy that day.

 

[spectrumfox]

The perspective is that they are the first to do it right and it's a trend that they have that being to first if something is not always important

"Right" is completely relative.

The way Google Wallet does it, using a virtual debit card that masks your actual financial information, is also a completely valid way of doing NFC purchases and keeping them secure.

 

[mrcrlee]

Here's an idea:

Roll into CVS and FILL a shopping cart- I mean FILL it to overflowing.

After the cashier rings up your $200-$500 order, upon learning they wont take ApplePay, say, "Ok, oh well, forget this order, I need to run over to Walgreens"

All this does is punish the staff of CVS who were not remotely part of the decision to nix AP and GW, while the bottom line of CVS never knows you never bought what you never intended to buy in the first place.

 

[cjmillsnun]

Not a chance in hell. I hope.

I suspect it will be along with all other forms of NFC EMV contactless payment. This includes the current contactless cards we have over here and Google Wallet.

They all work to standards designed by MasterCard and Visa.

----------

For everybody whining already, perhaps it would be nice to think about why they might do this? It's not like this is a service Apple is providing for free. Just because you don't have to pay for it doesn't mean somebody isn't. I don't know what Apple takes from these transactions and it is certainly not unheard of to have higher rates for those that are not affiliated with a certain program, so it could very well be that paying through Apple Pay costs them all or most of their margin.

Now I don't know about you guys, but if I had a company and customer convenience like Apple Pay cost me my margins I'd cut it off faster than you can say Apple Pay. None of you guys work for free, and neither should shops.

Apple Pay doesn't cost retailers a penny more.

 

[PS8409]

Here’s what I sent to CVS Customer “[Dis]Service”:

I’m not sure why your company wants to offend its customers, but the choice to disallow NFC payments such as Google Wallet and Apple Pay is probably something that MBA and marketing students will be using as case examples of stupidity for decades to come. Business 101: When a customer wants to buy what you have, sell it to them. Make them want to come back and buy it again from YOU, not a competitor.

Customers that want to use these mobile payments are smart, have higher incomes and the willingness to spend it, and are also technologically knowledgeable. Sounds like the kind of customers you want to attract rather than annoy and disenfranchise.

Perhaps you should also remind yourself about what customer “service” means, but not to worry as I’m sure you’ll have fewer customers to worry about offending if your company keeps this policy in place for long. The customers you have left will turn you into another Kmart.

I’ll be taking my money and rewarding other merchants from now on so they can prosper, not you.

Seems like the debate on MR is more about Apple being seen as a control freak. Well, they are! And everyone is better for it. Thank God for iPhone and iPad. Thank God for Pay. Because when the guy next to me gets his credit card stolen, I'll pray for him but will rest with the piece of mind that I don't have to worry about it! One day anyway. Still have to carry it around with me until the rest of the world falls in line and realizes that this is the future of payments period. The future may not be Pay itself. It may be another company. But any company that allows me to pay with as little effort as Pay does, that's who I want to support.

 

[duaneu]

I understand exactly why they are doing this.

With MerchantC or whatever it's called the places are allowed to collect your credit card numbers,market you with advertising ( VERY important ) and keep you in a cloud-based database.

NFC doesn't do that.

Exactly...these companies hate Apple Pay because it's completely anonymous. They can't track who you are and what you're buying.

 

[SusanK]

Yes, then the cashier will surely allow Apple Pay in the store....

Absolutely. Just like the greeter in the Apple store will give you a free Mac Pro if you say you are not happy with the 2014 Mac mini.

We all know the staffer who first comes into contact with a customer makes all upper level decisions

 

[3282868]

Exactly...these companies hate Apple Pay because it's completely anonymous. They can't track who you are and what you're buying.

You and Peace are spot on!

 

[JoeTomasone]

Finally a voice of reason amongst a chorus of insanity. Seriously. You've had this ability for what - about a week or so? And now you don't. The world has not ended. I hardly believe that people choose to shop at CVS, Walgreens, RiteAid or where ever based on whether or not they can pay with their iPhone. Price, convenience and product selection trump the ability to pay with an iPhone.

And, in these times, security can trump price, convenience, and product selection. I want to use Apple Pay for the security of it, not because it shaves 2 seconds off a check-out time.

And yes, in order to limit the amount of exposure that my credit card has out there - it's already had to be replaced due to Target - I will absolutely drive business towards merchants that support the security of Apple Pay. Android folks should be saying the exact same thing with respect to Google Wallet (which isn't as secure or as private, but is much better than swiping your card or giving MCX your bank account info...).

 

[jonbravo77]

For everybody whining already, perhaps it would be nice to think about why they might do this? It's not like this is a service Apple is providing for free. Just because you don't have to pay for it doesn't mean somebody isn't. I don't know what Apple takes from these transactions and it is certainly not unheard of to have higher rates for those that are not affiliated with a certain program, so it could very well be that paying through Apple Pay costs them all or most of their margin.

Now I don't know about you guys, but if I had a company and customer convenience like Apple Pay cost me my margins I'd cut it off faster than you can say Apple Pay. None of you guys work for free, and neither should shops.

With this logic then those stores may want to cut off the use of Visa, MasterCard, Discover and AMEX cards as well, since all of those companies charge merchants as well for customers using those cards. Some companies don't take AMEX because their cut is too large for the company to pay.

 

[lowepg]

If (when??) someone has their account hacked at CVS, could CVS be found negligent in that they HAD a secure form of payment available but CHOOSE to diable it (with no other option currently)?

 

[duaneu]

I'm pretty sure cash, in this instance, is far more secure than even Apple Pay

What's secure about cash? If your cards are stolen and used fraudulently, you can get the charges reversed. If they steal the cash from your wallet, it's gone forever.

 

[Buran]

And, in these times, security can trump price, convenience, and product selection. I want to use Apple Pay for the security of it, not because it shaves 2 seconds off a check-out time.

And yes, in order to limit the amount of exposure that my credit card has out there - it's already had to be replaced due to Target - I will absolutely drive business towards merchants that support the security of Apple Pay. Android folks should be saying the exact same thing with respect to Google Wallet (which isn't as secure or as private, but is much better than swiping your card or giving MCX your bank account info...).

Exactly! It's not an Apple/Google fanboy/fangirl issue. It's about my security. My polite feedback message to them:

You've lost me as a potential customer. You've been building new stores in my area that are nice, but then you had to go and disable Apple Pay. Instead of allowing me to pay with a secure system that uses one-time tokens that will make my information useless to criminals if your systems are ever breached, you've actively gone out of your way - after Apple Pay worked fine - to disable this secure option in order to force customers to use a mobile wallet that isn't even available yet AND requires customers to link a bank account, removing the credit card that serves as a buffer against fraud. Because you have placed your convenience and insecurity over my convenience and security, I will be remaining an enthusiastic customer of Walgreens, which has embraced tokenised contactless payment systems and is happy to accept my payments in that form.

I strongly suggest you re-consider your decision. If you do, I will re-consider mine.

 

[DaveN]

Right because the poor retail clerk making $8 bucks an hour deserves to put all that crap back. That person isn't one dictating policy. All you do is make that clerks life crappy that day.

Well they do get paid by the hour so if they aren't putting all that 'crap' back they are putting new 'crap' on the shelves. The pay the same.

 

[tok]

Just send a complaint to CVS... The more they get about this issue the better.

http://www.cvs.com/help/email-customer-relations.jsp?callType=store&topicid=200018

 

[cjmillsnun]

Do you guys think that Apple Pay is beneficial for stores? No, because Apple gets a share of every transaction completed using Apple Pay. So obviously retailers are coming up with their own system. Yes, the stores should have anticipated this and come up with their own solution, and as a result they are lagging behind and are making Apple sheep angry because they want to use this handy function RIGHT NOW. God forbid that they have to wait a couple of months longer to do a mobile payment.

Reading through the comments above, I honestly had no idea that Americans don't use chip and pin cards. I personally don't want to pay by phone because it imposes more risk then just using my bank card and tapping in my code. Never ever had a problem with this, and thanks to maestro it works almost everywhere.

No, the retailers don't pay Apple a penny

 

[spectrumfox]

Well they do get paid by the hour so if they aren't putting all that 'crap' back they are putting new 'crap' on the shelves. The pay the same.

That's no excuse to willfully give the checker more work to do just because you don't like the fact that the company they work for won't let you pay with your iPhone.

They have no power to change company policy, they're just trying to scrape out a living.

 

[hypermog]

CVS is joining forces with Sears and Kmart to face down Apple and Google.