How are they just getting Apple Pay now? Shouldn't they already have it, as it comes "packaged" with normal contactless.
They just didn't have it activated. It was the same way at CVS for a long time before they caved and started accepting Apple and Android Pay.
That doesn't make any sense... I thought they couldn't be separated (maybe I'm wrong?)
Every card issued in the last 10ish years has contactless, why would a shop disable it?
My bank is one of the top 10 largest ones in the United States, and they don't have contactless cards (yet).
Publix didn't just roll that out. It's been a thing for nearly a year. I know this, because every time I asked them when they are going to accept contactless payments, they suggest I use their app.
You're talking about their Walmart Pay-like QR code. It was a decent alternative. But opening the Publix app, selecting "Pay," entering a passcode, and then holding the camera to scan the QR code on the register, having to tell the cashier that you paid with the app, and waiting for them to figure it out how to process the payment because they probably aren't seeing that many people use it in order to build the muscle memory to do it quickly, is a TOTALLY different experience from just using NFC.