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Is it just me or did all of a sudden NFC readers are EVERYWHERE??

dontwalkhand

dontwalkhand

macrumors 604
Original poster
Jul 5, 2007
6,578
3,251
Phoenix, AZ
I live here in the heart of Phoenix, AZ, and at a local grocery store here (Basha's) they just installed brand new card terminals that take both chip & PIN, and NFC cards.

Now here's the kicker, you can't tell that it has NFC, just three green circles on the screen. Tap your card (or iPhone 6) to the screen and you've paid. The screen says "Insert/Swipe card" with no mention of tap. Just tap anyway and it still worked! I wonder why they don't "advertise" this feature on the terminal?!

Now to the iPhone part of the subject....YES! I can use my iPhone 6 to pay in even more places!

Let's see placed that I've encountered NFC so far:
-Home Depot (NEW)- also has Chip and PIN
-Circle K - Always had it
-Walmart (NEW! - only in locations that have brand new terminals)- all do have EMV chip and PIN
-Target (new readers, not yet activated until new cash register software)
-Best Buy
-Fry's Food (Kroger) (NEW- only in places that have the new readers)

This is in stark contrast to last year where people said NFC was failing. Bring on the iPhone 6.
 
Last edited:
Does the cash come straight from you're bank or PayPal or something?
 
This has very little to do with the iPhone 6 and more to do with the fact that US banks are being required to switch to chip & pin.
 
Henke said:
Does the cash come straight from you're bank or PayPal or something?
Click to expand...

Depends on the card, I used my Wells Fargo debit with NFC, so it's just as if I were to use my debit card.

----------
c0LdFire said:
This has very little to do with the iPhone 6 and more to do with the fact that US banks are being required to switch to chip & pin.
Click to expand...

True however NFC is not a requirement for Chip and PIN, just the chip is required. However the readers generally do come with a NFC reader bundled in anyway.
 
I'm in Arizona too.. And even up here in Sedona most of the commercial businesses (excluding the gift shops) have NFC. Been using my Google Wallet on my G3 at Safeway, Bashas, Walgreens, Circle K and Staples.

Be nice to use my iPhone instead.
 
dontwalkhand said:
I live here in the heart of Phoenix, AZ, and at a local grocery store here (Basha's) they just installed brand new card terminals that take both chip & PIN, and NFC cards.

Now here's the kicker, you can't tell that it has NFC, just three green circles on the screen. Tap your card (or iPhone 6) to the screen and you've paid.

Now to the iPhone part of the subject....YES! I can use my iPhone 6 to pay in even more places!

Let's see placed that I've encountered NFC so far:
-Home Depot (NEW)- also has Chip and PIN
-Circle K - Always had it
-Walmart (NEW! - only in locations that have brand new terminals)- all do have EMV chip and PIN
-Target (new readers, not yet activated until new cash register software)
-Best Buy
-Fry's Food (Kroger) (NEW- only in places that have the new readers)

This is in stark contrast to last year where people said NFC was failing. Bring on the iPhone 6.
Click to expand...
Hate to say this, but PayPass terminals are everywhere and have been for a couple of years (even in rural towns, like mine).
You just haven't really noticed them until now. Off the top of my head here are places I have been using Google Wallet for the last 2 years.
Best Buy, McDonalds, Burger King, CVS, Walgreen's, AMC theaters, AppleBee's and a couple other places I can't think of right this second. There are a lot of places that have this feature, I've just listed the places I have personally used Google Wallet to pay for stuff.
Of course, with Apple finally onboard, I expect NFC to really take off in the US!

----------
Henke said:
Does the cash come straight from you're bank or PayPal or something?
Click to expand...

On Google Wallet, you can use bank accounts, debit and credit cards.
 
Is it just me or did all of a sudden NFC readers are EVERYWHERE??

dontwalkhand said:
Now to the iPhone part of the subject....YES! I can use my iPhone 6 to pay in even more places!
Click to expand...


You've been able to use any iPhone, from 3G-current, with NFC for years now. Just get an NFC case and download one of the many apps from the App Store that fit what you want to do.

www.icarte.ca
 
juanrp said:
I haven't seen any.
I'll be on the lookout.
Click to expand...

Surely you have seen PayPass terminals. Where do you live if I may ask? They have been around for years but many more in other places are finally popping up. At the rate they are popping up you can finally replace your card with your phone.
 
dontwalkhand said:
Surely you have seen PayPass terminals. Where do you live if I may ask? They have been around for years but many more in other places are finally popping up. At the rate they are popping up you can finally replace your card with your phone.
Click to expand...

I live in Lakeland. Smack-dab in the middle of Florida.
Quaint little city. With 93000 people, but that's not the point. :D
 
This is hardly new in Canada. Maybe the US is just behind in technology? :) They are everywhere.
 
stuffradio said:
This is hardly new in Canada. Maybe the US is just behind in technology? :) They are everywhere.
Click to expand...

They were everywhere, then they bought new readers that didn't have them, and now they are everywhere again.

Maybe we are behind, however, I give credit that the US does process every transaction right away, something almost unheard of in other countries, that still believe in "Offline Transactions"- which is the reason why Chip & PIN was needed in the first place.

Of course even though we are finally starting to get Chip & PIN, we will still process those transactions online, so it'll reflect your balance right away.
 
dontwalkhand said:
They were everywhere, then they bought new readers that didn't have them, and now they are everywhere again.

Maybe we are behind, however, I give credit that the US does process every transaction right away, something almost unheard of in other countries, that still believe in "Offline Transactions"- which is the reason why Chip & PIN was needed in the first place.

Of course even though we are finally starting to get Chip & PIN, we will still process those transactions online, so it'll reflect your balance right away.
Click to expand...
Your balance is affected right away in Canada also. I do think it is mostly a case of maybe you're just noticing it now because you're focusing on it more because the iPhone is getting NFC. It's like that phenomenon where when you buy a car, all of a sudden you see a lot more cars like your car then you did before because you are more aware of it and focused on it.
 
Nope. I've also noticed it here in the Philly suburbs. I can't remember off hand which stores but I have noticed more & more brand new terminals everywhere I go. Even the public transportation authority I work for is going all in w/ NFC. All of their terminals are currently being updated with NFC with the passengers being able to swipe & pay to board the bus/train/trolley. Even the employees new ID's will be NFC based (I'm guessing they'll have us clock in & out with the new ID's in the near future). Very cool stuff & I'm glad to be a part of it
 
stuffradio said:
This is hardly new in Canada. Maybe the US is just behind in technology? :) They are everywhere.
Click to expand...

The US has been way behind of almost every other country when it come to credit card technology. After all the stores and CC companies getting hacked, the banks are moving to chipped cards.

Do not care about the NFC but chipped card are WAY safer.
 
dontwalkhand said:
Let's see placed that I've encountered NFC so far:
-Home Depot (NEW)- also has Chip and PIN
-Circle K - Always had it
-Walmart (NEW! - only in locations that have brand new terminals)- all do have EMV chip and PIN
-Target (new readers, not yet activated until new cash register software)
-Best Buy
-Fry's Food (Kroger) (NEW- only in places that have the new readers)

This is in stark contrast to last year where people said NFC was failing. Bring on the iPhone 6.
Click to expand...

Have you actually used either function in these places:

1. Home Depot near me has tap but not insert, I've heard some have insert enabled. Maybe mine does now, I'll go check it out some day.
2. Walmart - haven't seen tap-capable terminals, would be surprised if any had the function on. They do have insert EMV at most stores enabled.
3. They have triple-entry readers but as you note neither tap nor insert is enabled.
4. Best Buy has triple-entry readers but insert has never been enabled and they famously DISABLED tap a couple years ago due to a fee dispute with Visa.
 
jlake02 said:
Been waiting on Apple to get on the phone-pay bus for years now.

About time! :cool:
Click to expand...

Yea it really is about time. It has been rumored since the 4S. And of course it's on a year I'm not planning to upgrade :).

The readers haven't been all that common though. I carry an American Express card that uses a similar technology and generally have found few places that use them, though they have been common in some stores I visit (7-11, McDonald's). Often the readers have been broken too, and the staff seems to know less about them than I do ("I've never seen that before" has been said quite a few times as using my card). I'm sure that's related to why Apple has waited so long.
 
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