GameStop and Marriott International Announce Apple Pay Partnerships

[MacRumors]

More news continues to circulate following yesterday's Apple Watch-centered media event, with today bringing confirmation that two big new companies, GameStop and Marriott, are partnering with Apple to support Apple Pay.

First announced yesterday, Marriott confirmed that it will be the first hospitality company to offer Apple Pay to its customers. The roll-out will begin sometime this summer and launch in eleven total Marriott-owned locations like The Ritz-Carlton, EDITION Miami, Renaissance Hotels, and Marriott Hotels.

"Approximately 75 percent of our guests travel with one or more mobile devices, and it is even higher among 25-35 year olds - a group that will make up a much larger proportion of our guests over the next three years," said George Corbin, senior vice president, Marriott Digital. "Millions of customers already use Marriott Mobile to quickly book a hotel, check-in, or check out. Now, Apple Pay can make it virtually effortless."

Guests can expect the usual ease-of-use in placing their iPhone 6, 6 Plus, or following its April 24 launch, Apple Watch, near a contactless reader at the front desk to pay for their room. The company also announced an app for the Apple Watch that will allow Marriott Rewards members advanced check-in, notifications for when their room is ready, and an easier check out process upon leaving a hotel.

Following in Marriott's footsteps, popular video game and technology retailer GameStop confirmed that it will launch nationwide support for Apple Pay, meaning "more than 4,200 U.S. stores", beginning this month. The company hopes the Apple Pay support will grant customers a more secure and hassle-free purchasing experience in its shops.

"We are excited to make it easier and more convenient for our customers to shop at GameStop," said Jason Cochran, senior vice president of U.S. stores at GameStop. "Providing a positive, memorable customer experience is our top priority. Incorporating the latest in mobile technology, like Apple Pay, into our stores is another way we are offering customers options to help simplify their purchases."

A few competitors have recently entered the contactless payments market, but Apple's still fairly new Apple Pay service has continued to grow since its initial launch last fall. At yesterday's media event, Tim Cook noted that since its October launch, the service has expanded to 2,500 banks with nearly 700,000 merchants supporting Apple Pay across the U.S.

Article Link: GameStop and Marriott International Announce Apple Pay Partnerships

 

[macduke]

They really need to work on getting more grocery stores to use Apple Pay. But this is still good news.

 

[BruiserB]

They could accept ApplePay at 100% of their hotels immediately if, instead of changing their credit card hardware, they just fully allowed check-in for all rooms in their app and then use in-app ApplePay.

I'm sure most are changing hardware soon anyway to allow for chip cards to be read, but this would just speed it up.

I've used in app ApplePay in Groupon and Uber apps and really like it. Apple just needs to convince the credit card companies to allow it to be processed as "card-present" and I bet a lot more merchants would jump on board.

 

[Sean7512]

They could accept ApplePay at 100% of their hotels immediately if, instead of changing their credit card hardware, they just fully allowed check-in for all rooms in their app and then use in-app ApplePay.

I'm sure most are changing hardware soon anyway to allow for chip cards to be read, but this would just speed it up.

I've used in app ApplePay in Groupon and Uber apps and really like it. Apple just needs to convince the credit card companies to allow it to be processed as "card-present" and I bet a lot more merchants would jump on board.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204274

Apple Pay is "card-present."

 

[heeloliver]

It would be super cool if Marriot would allow you to unlock your door using Apple Watch sometime.

 

[PalindromeB0B]

25 Percent

Approximately 75 percent of our guests travel with one or more mobile devices

Who are the remaining 25 percent?!

 

[TMRJIJ]

Who are the remaining 25 percent?!

Elder people who don't have much use for mobile phones?

 

[BruiserB]

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204274



Apple Pay is "card-present."

I was talking about in-app ApplePay, saying we should be allowed to use that to check in from the app. In-app ApplePay is NOT card present. From the link you sent:

Are Apple Pay payments charged as card present or card not present?
Payments made using Apple Pay in stores are card present transactions. Payments made using Apple Pay within apps are card not present transactions.

 

[swarmster]

They really need to work on getting more grocery stores to use Apple Pay. But this is still good news.

I fully agree, but you'll likely see a large increase in NFC support by October, when everyone has to upgrade their card readers to chip-and-pin or be stuck with fraud charges. I think a lot of stores will spring for NFC while they're at it.

 

[parisi2274]

They really need to fact check a bit more....

"with nearly 700,000 merchants supporting Apple Pay across the U.S."

More like a handful of merchants whose total retail locations combined equal 700,000...

 

[dontwalkhand]

GameStop just replaced all of their terminals with Verifone MX915, so all they have to do is software update all of the machines to enable contactless.

The part that annoys me is that a lot of retailers aren't changing the verbiage on the screen, the screen just says "Please Slide Card", and one is supposed to just know that you can pay with Apple Pay as well.

They aren't putting on the proper logos and signage.

----------

They really need to fact check a bit more....

"with nearly 700,000 merchants supporting Apple Pay across the U.S."

More like a handful of merchants whose total retail locations combined equal 700,000...

Hey, before that number was only 250,000 total, so we are getting somewhere. But remember the stores aren't turning on or rolling out anything. It's all contact less payments that come with new terminals that they bought to comply with Chip & PIN/Signature. The contactless payments are just a nice addition that barely costs them anything to enable.

A number of factors go into accepting Apple Pay however, including making sure your merchant servicing account allows you to take it.

 

[parisi2274]

GameStop just replaced all of their terminals with Verifone MX915, so all they have to do is software update all of the machines to enable contactless.

The part that annoys me is that a lot of retailers aren't changing the verbiage on the screen, the screen just says "Please Slide Card", and one is supposed to just know that you can pay with Apple Pay as well.

They aren't putting on the proper logos and signage.

----------



Hey, before that number was only 250,000 total, so we are getting somewhere. But remember the stores aren't turning on or rolling out anything. It's all contact less payments that come with new terminals that they bought to comply with Chip & PIN/Signature. The contactless payments are just a nice addition that barely costs them anything to enable.

A number of factors go into accepting Apple Pay however, including making sure your merchant servicing account allows you to take it.

I'm confused... you quote my comment, but give no reasons why? All I said in my comment was that there are not 700,000 merchants... that is insane. I said there are a handful of merchants whose TOTAL retail locations could possibly add up to 700k merchants.

EDIT: I work for a POS software company, so I am all to familiar with EMV, Chip & Pin, Contactless readers...

 

[Chatter]

Elder people / Traditional families who don't like mobile phones?

I'm guessing that iPads and Laptops also count in their "multiple mobile devices" stat.

 

[DC Wallaby]

I'm confused... you quote my comment, but give no reasons why? All I said in my comment was that there are not 700,000 merchants... that is insane. I said there are a handful of merchants whose TOTAL retail locations could possibly add up to 700k merchants.

EDIT: I work for a POS software company, so I am all to familiar with EMV, Chip & Pin, Contactless readers...

And all the poster who quoted you said is that it's a massive increase over where we started in OCTOBER, only a handful of months ago. So you griping about how it's only a handful of merchants ignores the fact that Apple Pay is increasing its usefulness rapidly, even if it's still just "a handful of merchants whose total retail locations could possibly add up to 700k."

 

[NightFox]

Am I still misunderstanding this, or are all the companies hitting the MR headlines for "announcing partnerships with Apple to accept Apple Pay" simply installing new POS terminals so they can generically accept RFID payment methods, one of which just happens to be Apple Pay?

 

[eoblaed]

It would be super cool if Marriot would allow you to unlock your door using Apple Watch sometime.

This is what I'm really hoping for. Westin hotels will be doing this (as mentioned in yesterday's keynote). I travel regularly and always stay at Marriott's (Residence Inn) and being able to unlock my door with my (soon-to-get) Watch would be awesome. No more trying to dig out a key when my hands are full of stuff!

----------

Am I still misunderstanding this, or are all the companies hitting the MR headlines for "announcing partnerships with Apple to accept Apple Pay" simply installing new POS terminals so they can generically accept RFID payment methods, one of which just happens to be Apple Pay?

It's a little more than this.

For example, Best Buy has POS terminals that accept RFID payments, but they specifically do not accept Apple Pay (they're hanging their hopes on CurrentC, which is shameful, but that's another story).

 

[2010mini]

Elder people / Traditional families who don't like mobile phones?

What do you classify as a Traditional family???
I believe my family is traditional and we love smartphones.

 

[Deelron]

Who are the remaining 25 percent?!

Older people, the ones who put away money and like to travel.

You know, the ones who's highest tech devices are their cameras and Jitterbugs.

 

[Robert.Walter]

They really need to work on getting more grocery stores to use Apple Pay. But this is still good news.

We shop less at both Kroger and Costco in favor of Meijer in Michigan.

Accepting or denying Apple Pay has been a USP that changed our family's pattern in grocery shopping.

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Older people, the ones who put away money and like to travel.

You know, the ones who's highest tech devices are their cameras and Jitterbugs.

My 82-year old mom, carried an iPhone 4s for nearly 3 years before upgrading to the iPhone 6. She probably was the oldest 1st day user of Apple Pay.

She likes the convenience so much, she has changed her shopping patterns (as noted in my comment above) to favor merchants supporting Apple Pay; this has had an effect on my 3 sister's as well as my buying pattern's as well.

By the way, she never had a jitterbug, and dumped her digital point and shoot soon after getting her 4s (this at 78 years of age ... and she is no computer profi, or hi-tech freak, she even drives a PT-Cruiser, LoL. She got her first decent computer in 2008, and then realized that there was a lot to benefit her in the internet, email that after an initial hesitation to getting the 4s, she jumped in with both feet and uses it for everything contacts-, calendar-, communication-wise, as well as for playing solitaire... LoL )

She is looking forward to her next set of hearing aids being equipped with MFi compatability, and watched the Apple Watch presentation with keen interest in buying one to help her manage her exercise and meds.

 

[user418]

Older people, the ones who put away money and like to travel.

You know, the ones who's highest tech devices are their cameras and Jitterbugs.

My 85 year old mom has been using an iPhone since the first edition. She currently has an iPhone 5 and can email, text, take photos, and use Apple Pay. Pretty good for an older person.

 

[TMRJIJ]

What do you classify as a Traditional family???
I believe my family is traditional and we love smartphones.

I guess those who don't see the need replacing something that doesn't need fixing. Some people still use home phones and the provided ones at hotels. My grandparents finally got feature phones provided their insurance. They like smart phones but don't feel the need to get one.

 

[BruiserB]

GameStop and Marriott International Announce Apple Pay Partnerships

For example, Best Buy has POS terminals that accept RFID payments, but they specifically do not accept Apple Pay (they're hanging their hopes on CurrentC, which is shameful, but that's another story).

Are you sure of this? I thought Best Buy (as well as Target, CVS, Rite Aid, et al) had completely disabled RFID rather than accept ApplePay or any other contactless payment. CurrentC demands they forsake all mobile payment options, not just ApplePay. However many used to take GoogleWallet under the radar....it took ApplePay to make it an issue where CurrentC demanded that retailers turn off the capability.

If you meant to say they have POS terminals CAPABLE of taking RFID payments, but they don't take ApplePay or ANY OTHER MOBILE WALLET, that would have been correct.

 

[Gary03mw]

Great news. As a customer, I'm excited for Apple pay and I see it as a killer feature for Apple Watch but there just aren't enough places accepting it yet. Seems they are moving very fast though. As a shareholder, I think some of the services that Apple is currently working on will be a major driver of growth for a long time.

 

[heeloliver]

Who are the remaining 25 percent?!

Babies

 

[kilcher]

They really need to fact check a bit more....

"with nearly 700,000 merchants supporting Apple Pay across the U.S."

More like a handful of merchants whose total retail locations combined equal 700,000...

Exactly what I was thinking, except more like - 200,000 retail locations and 500,000 vending machines.