Retailers Cite 'Insufficient Customer Demand' as Biggest Reason for Not Supporting Apple Pay

[AdonisSMU]

Pulling a phone out and putting it up to a reader takes less time than pulling a wallet out, pulling out the right card, then swiping it. It also takes less space to store cards electronically vs. physically in a wallet, especially if you have a lot of store cards and loyalty cards.

ApplePay also has the advantage of using a one-time credit card number so it's more secure (your credit card number would have never been hacked at Target if ApplePay was supported and used), etc.

The thing that sucks about ApplePay is that about 1/2 of my credit cards (and all loyalty cards) don't support it, and there's only a few retailers where I can use it.

I love ApplePay when I can use it, though!

Don't forget if the strip is worn down you have to swipe 27 times.

 

[zyr123]

Shop Rite has nfc but some of there things don't work or aren't turned on. I was about to use apple pay today .

 

[iBlazed]

nope no one, well barely anyone my age even has a credit card and those who do only use it for travelling. credit cards have a "u aint got the money so dont buy it" image here. my mum has a credit card and she hides it in the house like its a holy grail and dont u dare mention the number anywhere. the horror!

Wow, what a drastic difference from my daily norm. I literally can't remember the last time I used cash.

 

[jhtrico1850]

I would love to try it on a 4 inch phone. Stuck on 5s.

Also, I don't mind sharing data which is one of the reasons walmart cited it doesn't support apple pay.

 

[Happy Snowman]

I've used Apple Pay a few times. Honestly, I feel, for lack of a better term, douchey using it, especially when using it with my Apple Watch. It feels like I'm showing off. So even when given the opportunity, I tend to just use my card. Kinda sad, huh?

 

[KSpider]

Such a BS response. Do they expect people to randomly email hundreds of retailers and ask for Apple Pay? Send me an email asking me if I would use it and ill reply yes.

 

[ChrisCW11]

I think Apple misread the US market. I have often read that Americans don't like using debit or credit cards as money is still anonymous, at least for frequent everyday purchases. Countries like Canada have a very high percentage of consumers using debit or credit cards over cash. I often don't see people here in Canada even using cash even to buy a $2 coffee at Tim Horton's, just wave a card in front of a scanner, I rarely have any real money in my pockets.

I think this is one situation where rolling out to America first backfired. Apple got it wrong. A country paranoid to make purchases using plastic cards wasn't going to quickly embrace using a phone for everyday payments. The numbers might increase over time, but still I think largely the US market will prefer anonymous cash for a long while unless Apple ties in support for Bitcoin or another anonymous digital currency.

 

[batmccoy]

I've done Apple pay a couple of times. Often times yo still have to interface with the store reader so you're only changing from pulling out your wallet to pulling out your phone. It's easier just to swipe my debit card from the wallet.

 

[wxman2003]

The CC companies have told the retailers that they will take full liability if they do not switch to the chip readers this year. This is forcing a lot of conversion. The CC companies also realize that what Apple Pay has done is even more secure than the Chip. They will force this soon enough to help reduce fraud. This is why they have all jumped on it. The screwed up with the authentication, but I think that is now resolved and I suspect that next year they may begin to push the retailers.

And CC companies will advertise left and right how secure their new chip cards are, and the consumers will believe them. Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, etc will never gain a major foothold. Heck, most people with the iPhone 6 models don't even use Apple Pay.

 

[KSpider]

I've used Apple Pay a few times. Honestly, I feel, for lack of a better term, douchey using it, especially when using it with my Apple Watch. It feels like I'm showing off. So even when given the opportunity, I tend to just use my card. Kinda sad, huh?

9 times out of 10 that I use apple pay on my watch the cashier will say either, hey you were my first apple watch payer, or "is that an apple watch?" or "wow thats cool" The more people use it the more people will get used to it. Think of how common it is to take a picture with your phone, when phones first started coming out with cameras, it was probably just as "douchey"... just use it and let the masses see how awesome it is.

 

[batmccoy]

I agree. Also with so many not supporting it, the security benefits are minimal.

I also find it awkward to do it. The merchant sometimes has to do something prior to you using it which means rather than "just working" like a credit card or cash, there's an extra little head nod.

The McDonalds by my house I noticed says you can do Apple Pay in the drive thru, but there is no equipment outside to do it so you'd basically have to ask them to provide you with the equipment to do it...or hand over your credit card like everything else.

Right. They stick the reader out the window—and you have to stick your phone out the window and risk dropping it. It's easier to just use the debit card.

 

[laurim]

Pulling a phone out and putting it up to a reader takes less time than pulling a wallet out, pulling out the right card, then swiping it. It also takes less space to store cards electronically vs. physically in a wallet, especially if you have a lot of store cards and loyalty cards.

ApplePay also has the advantage of using a one-time credit card number so it's more secure (your credit card number would have never been hacked at Target if ApplePay was supported and used), etc.

The thing that sucks about ApplePay is that about 1/2 of my credit cards (and all loyalty cards) don't support it, and there's only a few retailers where I can use it.

I love ApplePay when I can use it, though!

Just adding that my grocery store's loyalty card is in my Passbook (it's cool that I can also add digital coupons to it so no more clipping out paper coupons!) so I already have my iPhone out at the cash register to pay. If all retailers did loyalty cards with benefits, they would get their consumer data and targeted ad pushes. I was in Boston a couple days ago and both taxis took Pay

 

[2457282]

And CC companies will advertise left and right how secure their new chip cards are, and the consumers will believe them. Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, etc will never gain a major foothold. Heck, most people with the iPhone 6 models don't even use Apple Pay.

They will not advertise left or right. They will simply mail new cards. I have already been told by one vendor to expect a new card in July. New Cards that include a chip requires no advertisement. Apple Pay on the other hand does. When ready, expect that to happen non-stop.

 

[satcomer]

Wow, what a drastic difference from my daily norm. I literally can't remember the last time I used cash.

In the fast food drive out window?

 

[mrxak]

Twenty-eight total retailers noted that lack of data access, and the inability to send customized advertisements to individual users like traditional credit cards allow, is a "key reason" they won't accept Apple Pay.

Not surprised in the least. Apple keeps trying to do nice things for their customers, but the companies they have to deal with just want to exploit their customers for all they're worth. If it's not retailers, it's the music industry or the cell carriers.

 

[anthonymoody]

Well that settles it for me. I'm going to ask every time I pay for something, anywhere. I usually don't because I can see that their cc terminals don't have the capability. But now I will ask.

 

[martygras9]

Anywhere that has the Contactless Payment logo on their POS or chip and pin machines. There is no such thing as being Apple Pay only, as long as it supports NFC contactless payment it will work.

Every single cab that I've been in here in NYC accepts Apple Pay. Many don't even have this symbol.

 

[unplugme71]

Apple needs to push retailers to promote signage of Apple Pay's acceptance. I hate having to ask if I can use it. Half the cashiers don't even know if they accept it or not.

The times I have used it, it worked out great. But to be honest, I sometimes use store cards for the extra savings or financing options.

Best Buy for example, has really good financing for example on their card. So unless my BB card can be added to Apple Pay, even if Best Buy accepts Apple Pay, I won't use it on large ticket items.

So until all cards are accepted into Apple Pay, I don't blame retailers for not accepting it at those stores. Then again, they should push their merchant to allow their card to be added.

 

[satcomer]

I a starting to thing IF Apple adds the rumored "bonus" cards then more grocery stores will pick up Apple Pay (in the USA).

 

[odditie]

But none of that is Pay's fault. The point is, if we could use Pay everywhere, we would be more secure. Even a small amount of more secure is more secure.

My point exactly...credit cards/cash are not all that inconvenient and have some security flaws.

Apple Pay is more convenient and more secure. If Apple Pay was everywhere, the security benefits would be greater and the convenience factor would also be better (more people using it, more understanding of how it works by employees, better designed ways to be used)

But, that isn't the world we live in, so the gap in security and convenience benefits are less than they could be as a result.

 

[deannnnn]

I don't use Apple Pay even when it is available. I've found that it's faster or about the same amount of time to just swipe my AmEx card than to get Apple Pay to work.

I think Apple Pay is great in an emergency, like if I lost/forgot my wallet, but there is just no benefit in using it for regular everyday purchases.

 

[martygras9]

Not surprising since only people with two specific smartphones can use Apple Pay. Apple should have been silently putting in NFC chips in iPhones since the iPhone 5. That way when Apple Pay launched, the large percentage of iPhone users could use Apple Pay. Google out-did Apple in this regard, because now if Android Pay gains traction, pretty much every recent Android phone will be able to use it.

If Android Pay gains traction, does that not benefit Apply Pay users? It's still NFC, isn't it?

 

[Rogifan]

I think Apple misread the US market. I have often read that Americans don't like using debit or credit cards as money is still anonymous, at least for frequent everyday purchases. Countries like Canada have a very high percentage of consumers using debit or credit cards over cash. I often don't see people here in Canada even using cash even to buy a $2 coffee at Tim Horton's, just wave a card in front of a scanner, I rarely have any real money in my pockets.

I think this is one situation where rolling out to America first backfired. Apple got it wrong. A country paranoid to make purchases using plastic cards wasn't going to quickly embrace using a phone for everyday payments. The numbers might increase over time, but still I think largely the US market will prefer anonymous cash for a long while unless Apple ties in support for Bitcoin or another anonymous digital currency.

What's your source that people in the US don't want to use debit or credit cards?

 

[neohavix]

Ok, so from now on, I'll start telling retailers I want Apple Pay.

Despite my protestations with retailers not carrying Apple Pay, they look at me like I'm some kinda nut...and ask me back in return "What is Apple Pay?" smh.

 

[valkraider]

Yea, I don't see much benefit to using these smartphone payment systems just yet. It looks cool, but the options of pulling out my debit card or some cash are just as convenient...

It's not about convenience.

It's about security.

With Pay the retailer never gets your credit card number. That way there is zero way that your card number can be stolen from that retailer. Some very big retailers have had their systems breached and millions of credit card numbers stolen.

Mine has been stolen twice in the past year.

That can't happen with Pay.