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No. MCX is for the retailer. To help avoid interchange fees and get customer data. It's clunky system is not primarily focused on benefits to the customer. But they will say it is.

Read and learn. http://fortune.com/2014/10/26/why-qvc-and-rite-aid-are-blocking-apple-pay/

True. If they take customer data and worse, have it hacked, then it would be a big problem. The only way I could see that work is if it tracks spending habits & products bought regularly and then lets you see in the app which store & location has those products on sale (or at lowest prices) that would be a big hit. But so far no mention of that.
 
The interesting thing is that even if MCX and its CurrentC was safe, private, and easy to use (which they are all not), based on Apple Pay's current supporters and MCX's current supporters it'll still be Apple Pay that get used the most.

Important current Apple Pay supporters
http://www.apple.com/apple-pay/?cid=wwa-us-kwg-features-com

Apple - go to Apple Retail Stores a lot
Macy's - in nearby mall
McDonalds - everywhere, sometimes go there
Nike - go to Nike Stores a lot, in nearby mall
Panera - close by
Staples - close by (coming later this year)
Starbucks - everywhere (coming later this year)
Subway - everywhere, go there a lot
Toy R Us - close by
Walgreens - close by
Whole Foods - close by

Important current MCX supporters
http://i.imgur.com/InK0MVX.png

Best Buy - go there to window shop, never buy stuff from there
CVS - super close by but overpriced and doesn't support Apple Pay
Lowes - too far away while Home Depot is much closer
Sam's Club - not where I live, go to Costco anyways
Sears - go to Macy's instead (there in the same mall)
7-Eleven/Shell - only go to Costco for gas
Target - go there sometimes (buy stuff from Amazon/Costco)
Walmart - go there less times than Target (buy stuff from Amazon/Costco)
 
Please post an email from Apple that you received based on what you watched on your AppleTV streamed from your hard drive. My Google spam filter (I'm a fanboy but don't use iCloud mail) must be trashing all the ones Apple sends me. ;-)

Let me guess. We are 20 pages of posts and 20 hours later and he still hasn't provided an example. I guess we can safely say that he is talking out of his ***.
 
iBet (see what I did there?) we can get this to 4000 posts!

Of them, I bet about 5 will be factual and non-opinionated, but I'm being an optimist.

This is quickly becoming one of the largest threads I've ever seen. Is there any way to look this up and/or does someone have a larger benchmark thread for us to reach?

Edit: Aha, this works. T-Mobile pre-order thread 20,800+ posts. We have quite a way to go still.

Edit 2: Thread is currently at #176 for most posts.

Edit 3: If anyone is reading at this point and wants to know how I did this (the link didn't work, but it's 2 days after the post so I doubt anyone will read it any time soon) just do an advanced search for the word "the" (put it in the search box) and Sort Results by: "number of replies" (left side 2nd from the bottom) . (Disclaimer: This may be changed by the time whoever reads this reads this).

It works because it would be exceedingly impossible to organically find a thread that large (in English) that somehow manages to not actually use the word "the".

Also, hello future person, whenever you are. ;)
 
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Well have to see how this plays out.

MCX will be still-born when consumers find out that:

  1. They have to grant authority to debit their checking account.
  2. They have to provide their Social Security number AND their driver's license number for "verification".
  3. Their bank won't refund disputed withdrawals, and it will be up to the merchant to resolve it.
http://support.currentc.com/#Account-Maintenance
 
This is quickly becoming one of the largest threads I've ever seen. Is there any way to look this up and/or does someone have a larger benchmark thread for us to reach?

Edit: Aha, this works. T-Mobile pre-order thread 20,800+ posts. We have quite a way to go still.

It's something I learned a long time ago:
Mess with someone's spouse or their money, they'll get excited.

I'll put this thread as evidence of that.

Great job with the research!
 
MCX will be still-born when consumers find out that:

  1. They have to grant authority to debit their checking account.
  2. They have to provide their Social Security number AND their driver's license number for "verification".
  3. Their bank won't refund disputed withdrawals, and it will be up to the merchant to resolve it.
http://support.currentc.com/#Account-Maintenance

This is almost painful enough to read to justify boycotting using anything that supports it.
 
Here's where I'm confused. The supporters of these retailers claim its a win for them and consumers if the merchants don't have to pay these service fees. Yet apparently you'll be able to use credit cards with CurrentC system. If that's the case than clearly service fees isn't the issue here.

Because even if they only reduce cc payments by 10 percent in favor of ach payments they pecan save patron of money. What's not to understand or be confused about. You're pretty smart.

The angle you're both ignoring is that when MCX was founded by Walmart, there wasn't really a movement towards NFC that was significant in any way. The idea was to beat the CC companies to the mobile payment market and make their system the defacto standard, thus cutting out the CC companies, and so while they envisioned that they would still accept credit cards, the idea was to make it so that the majority of transactions eventually would be through CurrentC thus saving them lots on transaction fees.

Now that Apple is leading the charge with a solution that uses standard NFC that is superior both in terms of privacy and security, one that threatens to turn the tables and instead lock out the merchant instead of the opposite, which MCX had planned, there is obviously a panic moment going on as MCX realises it missed its opportunity as the CC companies, with the help of Apple, have not only caught up, but flew past them.

In an alternate universe where CurrentC was launched in vanilla flavor without all the data collection, say 24 months ago, it had a decent chance of gaining traction, and they could have added on all of their beloved data collection in software updates as usage reached a critical mass. Services like Facebook and to an extent, PayPal, Ebay, etc. took this approach. Offer something for free with no strings attached in the beginning, and then layer on the ads, data collection, fees, etc. after users are hooked in. NFC in the US, and as a result Apple Pay, might have been on the back foot in that case.

As it is, it is going to be very difficult for CurrentC to get any sort of momentum going. Even with some of the big retailers there, they only list half the total retail locations that Apple Pay, and by extension, Google Wallet, SoftPay, etc can be used at now. It could be 3 times the number of locations by the time CurrentC launches. It could be even worse as there will no doubt be a defector or two from MCX before the launch date as one or two BoD's recognize the traction NFC and Apple Pay get during the next 6 months before CurrentC is launched.

That's how I see it anyway.
 
MCX will be still-born when consumers find out that:

  1. They have to grant authority to debit their checking account.
  2. They have to provide their Social Security number AND their driver's license number for "verification".
  3. Their bank won't refund disputed withdrawals, and it will be up to the merchant to resolve it.
http://support.currentc.com/#Account-Maintenance

That last one is the deal breaker for me.

Then again, I don't like auto debit schemes either. Too many tentacles in my account.
 
If retailers are disabling NFC so Apple Pay and Google Wallet can't be used, then Google and Apple should block the CurrentC app from their stores.
 
Good luck finding a terminal that will respond if you slide the card into the slot. Plus, EMV chip cards are not tokenised. Apple Pay is. I'd rather have that protection.

As consumers, we're already protected from card fraud.

So consumer-wise, NFC payment tokenization is mostly a way to avoid the annoyance of having to update an NFC related credit card number that we ALSO happen to use for recurring bills or online purchases.

An update, that ironically, is only necessary because we've given the SAME card number IN THE CLEAR to some OTHER merchant or utility, from where it could also be hacked.

--

Upshot: wallet tokenization is only secure if we back it with a card that we do not use anywhere else in the clear.

At which point, tokenization no longer matters, since losing a number that is only used for NFC payments is barely even a real annoyance, beyond waiting a few days for a replacement. It's almost like using a token already, because it's a throwaway number.

However, for people who cannot dedicate a card for NFC payments, tokenization is better than nothing at avoiding possible annoyances.
 
??turn off their social media?

What are you talking about? Also social media affects business decisions everyday.

I'm talking about complaining on FB, Twitter or other places like that. All the companies need to do is turn off the feedback options.
 
If retailers are disabling NFC so Apple Pay and Google Wallet can't be used, then Google and Apple should block the CurrentC app from their stores.

I would love to see Apple announce that tomorrow. But can they legally? Don't know.
 
Maybe the retail stores are disabling apple pay because they don't want to pay an additional processing fee to apple. If this is the case and I support cvs and the rest of the stores

Why oh why can't commenters do a little research before posting? Hundreds of previous comments by other posters and websites have explained this: MERCHANTS DO NOT INCUR ANY EXTRA FEES DUE TO APPLE PAY-- NONE WHATSOEVER. Apple has negotiated to have a very small cut of the processing fee that the banks and credit companies charge the merchant. Banks are willing to share the wealth because of the vastly improved security that Apple Pay delivers, which will greatly reduce fraud.
 
The angle you're both ignoring is that when MCX was founded by Walmart, there wasn't really a movement towards NFC that was significant in any way. The idea was to beat the CC companies to the mobile payment market and make their system the defacto standard, thus cutting out the CC companies, and so while they envisioned that they would still accept credit cards, the idea was to make it so that the majority of transactions eventually would be through CurrentC thus saving them lots on transaction fees.

Now that Apple is leading the charge with a solution that uses standard NFC that is superior both in terms of privacy and security, one that threatens to turn the tables and instead lock out the merchant instead of the opposite, which MCX had planned, there is obviously a panic moment going on as MCX realises it missed its opportunity as the CC companies, with the help of Apple, have not only caught up, but flew past them.

In an alternate universe where CurrentC was launched in vanilla flavor without all the data collection, say 24 months ago, it had a decent chance of gaining traction, and they could have added on all of their beloved data collection in software updates as usage reached a critical mass. Services like Facebook and to an extent, PayPal, Ebay, etc. took this approach. Offer something for free with no strings attached in the beginning, and then layer on the ads, data collection, fees, etc. after users are hooked in. NFC in the US, and as a result Apple Pay, might have been on the back foot in that case.

As it is, it is going to be very difficult for CurrentC to get any sort of momentum going. Even with some of the big retailers there, they only list half the total retail locations that Apple Pay, and by extension, Google Wallet, SoftPay, etc can be used at now. It could be 3 times the number of locations by the time CurrentC launches. It could be even worse as there will no doubt be a defector or two from MCX before the launch date as one or two BoD's recognize the traction NFC and Apple Pay get during the next 6 months before CurrentC is launched.

That's how I see it anyway.
I totally agree with everything you typed. They are a year behind where the should have been with it - especially with the Target breech. People still are talking about that each trip they make there.


****

The apple pay % is 0.15% isn't it? Not 0.25%
 
I think this is what it'll come down to:
:Apple:pay:
To pay, just hold your iPhone near the contactless reader with your finger on Touch ID.

CurrentC:
Open your CurrentC application
Enter your 4-digit passcode
Swipe or tap the Quick CurrentC button
Either scan the Paycode that the cashier presents or press the Show button at the bottom of your phone screen to allow the cashier to scan your Secure Paycode (This is the Quick CurrentC instructions- here's the non-quick ones:)

Open your CurrentC application
Enter your 4-digit passcode
Press the Pay button
Either scan the Secure Paycode that the cashier presents (default) or press the Show button at the bottom of your screen to allow the cashier to scan your Secure Paycode
Select the payment account that you would like to use
Press the Pay Now button

It seems like one is for the customer, and the other for those that like a procedure for everything (like me, but I will still use Apple pay)

----------

I totally agree with everything you typed. They are a year behind where the should have been with it - especially with the Target breech. People still are talking about that each trip they make there.


****

The apple pay % is 0.15% isn't it? Not 0.25%

You may be right. I stand corrected.
 
Whew, that was close. I almost bought an iPhone 6 solely to be able to use Apple Pay at CVS. :rolleyes:


IMO this is an incredibly myopic decision by CVS etc.
 
Maybe it's just a waste of time, but I just sent this message to RiteAid's customer service on its website:

I recently bought an iPhone 6. Part of the reason I bought the iPhone is that I want to start using the contactless payment method permitted by Apple Pay instead of using my less secured credit card.

I've read that Riteaid will not allow contactless payments from Apple Pay, Google Wallet or any other NFC based system. I understand that the reason is that Riteaid will be part of a consortium of retailers who are trying to save money by cutting out the credit card companies and will present their own mobile payment system sometime in 2015. Perhaps Riteaid will pass that savings along to their customers.

I'm a long time Riteaid customer, but I'm transferring all of my prescriptions away from Riteaid to Walgreens, who is continuing to support contactless payments. Walgreens is slightly less convenient than Riteaid, but I don't want to support a retailer who harms its customers in an effort to gain leverage against the credit card companies.

Perhaps Riteaid's mobile payment plan will be just as convenient as Apple Pay on my iPhone 6, and I'll come back to Riteaid. We'll see when Riteaid's system is up and running in 2015. In the meantime, I'll do as much of my shopping at Walgreens as I can.​

Thank you - well written - i used it and sent it to CVS - if enough complain - who knows
 
For those that want to see how bad CurremtC is just go into a Dunkin Donuts store. This system in DD uses QR codes and is linked to your checking nobody uses it

People will be quicker to take out a Credit Card or cash.

Dunkin Donuts has been using this service in their App for over a year with signs posted near their registers. Many Dunkin customers are repeat customers and they still don't use the App with the QR payments system



Why would anyone give up access to their bank account for a stupid coupon that most likely you won't use



Send a message to CVS & RiteAid that customers are their lifeblood.

SHOP ELSEWHERE!!


Wendy's has you swipe and it gives a 6 digit code that can be typed into the register. I've used it because I was able to buy a gift card at 20% off face value and loaded it into the app. There is an option to have it auto refill from your credit card....I would never do that. When I first used it at my local Wendy's, months after the app was introduced and highly promoted with in-store signage, I became an instant celebrity in the store by being the first person to ever pay that way!
 
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