This tells me one thing... The CurrentC people are going to play hardball - and shopping at their places are going to get ugly. This is big money, they are taking On the merchant fees. They want you to get a store card - using your checking account info. Then they will ACH payment you like Target.
Their cashiers are going to have life at work turn into hell for them over conversion rates.
As to RiteAid violating their agreement by turning this off - are they a MC Paypass/Wave partner? They they could be in that case.
And CurrentC isn't vaporware, it is in trials at Target - and requires a new button on. The register for cashiers to punch before they scan the QR code.
The line is being drawn..... And unless we push for security, we the consumer will be the pawns and the losers.
Oh the drama....
Out of all the hate talk of CurrentC, your post got my curiosity enough to check it out.
So, really, this is the big complaint? A cashier has to hit a separate button? OK, whatever....
They already do that when I have them scan a QR code on my phone for coupons if I choose to use electronic coupons. The also have to do that when I hand them paper coupons, which require them to hit several buttons.
I think they'll get over having one more button to push.
Cashiers aren't idiots. They know their machines. And, I don't see any of them likely to throw a big protest and suddenly hate their job because they got one more button to push.
I could see them getting quite annoyed at the occasional rare Apple Pay fanatic coming in and complaining that they can't pay with their Apple Pay device as they throw a tantrum and demand to make a production holding up the line because they insist that Apple must make commission on the purchase of their sustenance for their Apple lair (mother's basement).
Aside from being an electronic alternative to store cards, there is no other inherent evil to CurrentC. I don't care if Visa, MasterCard, or Apple get money when I buy groceries. I just assume they don't.
Now, the truth is finally starting to reveal itself in your objection. The apparent issue, is that it is another option to pay directly from your bank account like a debit card. So what. I've already got a Target Debit Card that pulls from my checking account, and saves me 5% on every purchase. I've also got a Target Credit Card that gives me 5% off on every purchase to use if my bank account happens to be low at the moment.
I'll gladly save 5% using a store card as opposed to paying more for the benefit of Visa, MasterCard, or Apple getting a percentage of my purchase. That's money in my pocket. No games, no rotating rewards cycles that never really pan out... immediate savings at time of purchase. Even better, with Target, I can save as much money as I feel like investing time.
I can use the Target App, and pick out several items to obtain a discount on (typically an additional 5% to 15% discount), add manufacturer coupons, then add printed store coupons, then add the 5% discount for using the Target Debit or Target Credit Card. Now we're saving some money, and it's staying in my pocket. I've seriously gone into Target using these techniques and saved $80 on $100 of merchandise, paying only $20 for that $100 of merchandise.
Yeah, give me a store card any day over supporting Apple Pay, Visa, or MasterCard.
Looking at CurrentC, it appears to simply be an electronic alternative to the Store Credit, and Store Debit Cards, which also combines built in couponing. Hardly the major evil that Apple Pay endorsers are trying to make it out to be.
Myself, I'll probably stick with my physical cards. But, making CurrentC out to be some major evil compared to Apple, I don't see it. I see an electronic equivalent of the Target model. And, the Target model saves me tons of money when I shop at Target.
I'll stick with my physical cards. But, if I were so inclined to consider paying by phone, the CurrentC looks like it offers more incentives and reasons to choose it over Apple Pay.
And, no, I am absolutely not concerned about the Cashier going all Postal because there is one more button to press. In all transactions, there are different buttons which are pressed by the Cashier at different times. Pressing the QR button is not going to necessarily be cumulative, just an alternate button to press instead of pressing the Cash button, or the Visa / MasterCard Button, or the EBT button.
I already put Cashiers through their paces sometimes when I decide to use 3 different payment methods, plus a club card, plus coupons. So, they'll live I'm sure.
