Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Again I have to ask - seriously. Is this what people are now thinking after a few days of Apple pay being available? That they will no longer shop in stores that don't offer it?

WOW

I have no place I go regularly that accepts it. So I can't really factor it in daily.

But your take on it is what will catch merchants by surprise. People like choices that work for them. If someone concludes that Apple Pay is what they are comfortable using, then they certainly are going to seek places that are committed to giving them that choice.

In order to go there without that option - the merchant is going to have to offer something better. IF they aren't, why wouldn't someone choose to then cross the street and use the merchant that carries the dames items, but allows them to pay how they choose?

Apple brought the choice of NFC payments to the masses. It is still a "niche", but a huge chunk of people now have that option and are thinking about things they might not have before (in regards to security).

The next wave of "the fight for the consumers dollar" is here and now, and we the consumers should have the option of picking the "winner" instead of it being forced down our throats by a merchant.

As I stated earlier, I have no expectation that when Rite Aid, Walmart, Dunkin Donuts launch their CurrentC things that they will instantly offer those guests the 5% savings each trip. Just like they now doing give you a discount when you use their store cards or gift cards.
 
You say,

"Cancel the sale. I'll shop somewhere else."
[/B]

An action like the one above comes from the mind of a child. An adult who disagrees would simply take their money elsewhere. Supporting Apple and Apple Pay is one thing. Being a douche is something different. I'm pretty sure Apple wouldn't want to be associated with actions like the above either.
None of you think, apparently. I've quoted one of you, the above 2 highlighted actions are exactly the same thing. Exactly. How is one bad and one ok, one adult and one childish? What if your phone is all you brought with you because the store took the payment yesterday? (which is exactly the situation in this news story)

Stores have the right to refuse service to anyone. I have the right to refuse to shop there, too. How is that "douchey"? I actually just quit going to Walgreens over other policies, told the cashier directly. I should have not made my purchase, but I didn't have time to fool around that day. I will happily drive an extra half mile to a different store from now on.
 
This is off topic, but I've gotta say that Target seems to have one of the most messed up mobile strategies of any company. Why on earth do they have a Target app which stores electronic coupons, and then a Cartwheel app that stores discounts, and the Target app used to store gift cards, but now it links you to an external webpage with a different login from your normal Target account?
Apparently the current version of the app with Apple Pay support is lacking in features. I never knew that you could put gift cards in there. Seriously. Can you say - zero training? UGH, I've been carrying around my kids gift cards for a year!

You can store your Cartwheel code in Passbook, and you can store the coupons from the Target app in Passbook, but on different tabs. But then you cannot store your gift card in Passbook!. So at checkout you need to show screens from two different apps (or two tabs in Passbook) and then switch to a Safari screen to pay with an electronic gift card or run your physical RedCard through a reader!!!! It's insanity every time I go through checkout and I'm always paranoid I'm going to forget something. It has to be insane for the cashiers as well, having to explain things to the customers.
Heck, i have co-workers I have to explain it too.

AND, i have forgotten something 3 times this month on big shopping trips. Always cartwheel... and i have had some good stuff. I rarely have them manually do it because I know it is a PITA since we have to do it manually.

But it is a pain at times.

Couldn't Target just have one app with both coupons and Cartwheel discounts and then allow you to link it to your RedCard??? Then at checkout you could just swipe your RedCard and all Coupons/Cartwheel Discounts/5% back would all be applied instantly? It feels like there are completely different teams working on the different programs at Target and they don't have a unified approach to anything!

There is that coming.

It is called CurrentC.

Perhaps you have read about it, even in this thread?? ;)

(if you work at Target, they even put your employee discount on there!)

----------

Where do you sign up for this extra 5% savings in November?

If you get a red card this week (thru Saturday I think - don't hold me to the date, which is a bad communication issue in my store.. i've been on vacation too), they MAIL you a coupon for 5% that can be used in November. It is locked to a week - the week before thanksgiving I think.

I seriously do not have all the info on it - I worked 5 hours on Wednesday and didn't find out about it until an hour before close!

But it won't work for current RC holders, only new sign-ups. If you ask at your store this week they will have the info.

ETA: The dates i'm seeing are November 9-15th for the extra 5% coupon good one time.
 
Last edited:
The intelligence level of this post says it all about rabid Apple Fanatics.
Jim Jones would be proud.

How ironic that you mention intelligence level of posts. I was not aware that Jim Jones was a rabid Apple fanatic.
 
Last edited:
Apparently the current version of the app with Apple Pay support is lacking in features. I never knew that you could put gift cards in there. Seriously. Can you say - zero training? UGH, I've been carrying around my kids gift cards for a year!

LOL....go in the current app and click "find" at the bottom. Then select gift cards and it will link you externally where you can create a gift card account and store your cards. You can even combine several cards into one card.

----------

If you get a red card this week (thru Saturday I think - don't hold me to the date, which is a bad communication issue in my store.. i've been on vacation too), they MAIL you a coupon for 5% that can be used in November. It is locked to a week - the week before thanksgiving I think.

I seriously do not have all the info on it - I worked 5 hours on Wednesday and didn't find out about it until an hour before close!

But it won't work for current RC holders, only new sign-ups. If you ask at your store this week they will have the info.

ETA: The dates i'm seeing are November 9-15th for the extra 5% coupon good one time.

OK...didn't realize it was a new sign up promo!

I will wait and see how CurrentC works out at Target.....somehow I can't see it unifying anything....I'm more suspicious it would be a third app I'd have to open and get scanned! LOL
 
Last edited:
I have no place I go regularly that accepts it. So I can't really factor it in daily.

But your take on it is what will catch merchants by surprise. People like choices that work for them. If someone concludes that Apple Pay is what they are comfortable using, then they certainly are going to seek places that are committed to giving them that choice.

In order to go there without that option - the merchant is going to have to offer something better. IF they aren't, why wouldn't someone choose to then cross the street and use the merchant that carries the dames items, but allows them to pay how they choose?

Apple brought the choice of NFC payments to the masses. It is still a "niche", but a huge chunk of people now have that option and are thinking about things they might not have before (in regards to security).

.

I think it will be a long time before there's critical mass to the point where the general population WON'T go into a store because of Apple pay. Convenience comes in many forms. Payment is one. But there are other factors like location, price, wait time, customer service, return policies, inventory, etc. Apple pay (at current) doesn't offer an incentive other than convenience. It's not, unto itself, a funded account. What I mean is - there are a lot of college towns that have stores that use a campus pay system. Businesses that participate vs those that don't clearly have an advantage for those that like using those apps, etc. I don't see Apple pay as having that same "hold." It's just another payment method. And as long as stores take cash and credit cards, it's likely not to "anger" or frustrate most consumers just because a store doesn't accept it. Contactless payment systems have existed for a long time - without the need for a phone.
 
Oh, I don't know. Android has done pretty well. ;)

Yeah, Samsung's massively declining profits (down YOY 60% for Q3) and Google's much lower search revenue from Android vs. iOS (a court case from a couple years ago showed documents that stated iOS is responsible for 80% of revenue and Android is 20%) is going so well right now. Sure Google is at least still making money but not as much as they could have. The only reason Android caught on is for three reasons: 1. Nerds want to tinker 2. People wanted bigger phones and 3. You can get them for really cheap. Most Android devices are really cheap devices being pumped out of China that are running a three year old version of Android. And don't get me wrong, I'm a geek (aka not socially awkward nerd with style) who likes to tinker. But I know enough to stay away from the security and privacy disaster that is Android.
 
What reason is there to walk into a bank anymore? I think I've been to my actual credit union once in my entire life. I mean sure, 10 years ago when you had to make a deposit, but now your phone does all that.

Perhaps if you like your financials online. Go for it. Just understand that online banking has it's own issues.

I locked mine down after someone fraudulently accessed my bank accounts online. And, kept getting into them by using my information and locking me out of them (the most minor part of ID Theft mentioned previously) It's so secure now, that even if you walk into the bank in person, look like me, carrying my ID card, and the teller knows me and recognizes me, they will not do a thing with my account. Even the Manager won't release anything to me, and we've known each other personally for more than 40 years. There are other methods I've implemented that must be in place in addition to my physical being, ID card, signature, and being recognized... that doesn't even get you close to my money.

Yeah, it's locked tight, and no I wouldn't do anything with a cell phone to manage my money. There is no Internet access to my accounts.

If you've only been the institution who holds your money once in your life, then you've got nothing. Any random person could walk in there, know your information, and walk out with your money. That's exactly why I deal local, with people who know my face, who will implement special practices for me because they know me, and will personally protect my interests.

You wouldn't believe how easy it is to manage your bank account without any identification if you know all the information. With mine, you won't touch my accounts even if you have my face.
 
LOL....go in the current app and click "find" at the bottom. Then select gift cards and it will link you externally where you can create a gift card account and store your cards. You can even combine several cards into one card.

----------



OK...didn't realize it was a new sign up promo!

I will wait and see how CurrentC works out at Target.....somehow I can't see it unifying anything....I'm more suspicious it would be a third app I'd have to open and get scanned! LOL

I'm so irked on the gift card thing.... LOL, of course, I wasn't updating my app because I had a 4 running iOS6. It limited me in areas. I guess that is what some of those people in my line have been doing with the gift cards i've scanned (like, 5 of them in a year!).

I think we finally used all of them in the last couple of weeks - i'll have to check my bag!

The CurrentC thing apparently works well in the places that have had it tested. The cashier pushes the function button, scans the QR code and it all "just works". We don't have the button on our registers - so I gather they don't expect us to have anyone testing it.

And it is a bummer that existing guests don't get the 5% coupon. Especially the ones that didn't cancel their cards this past january.
 
RiteAid isn't the only one

Ventra Chicago also worked on the first day, but this morning when I tried again, it said "Insufficient fund"!
 
Yeah, let all the people who wouldn't go there anyway join forces and tell them that they'll not go in there if they don't support Apple Pay.

This sounds more like an agenda than anything else.

Headlines should read, Apple fanatics who consider themselves too good to shop at Rite Aid make empty threats to boycott store they don't shop at anyway.

Nope. No agenda at all. Just a consumer who is tired of all the data breaches and chooses to use the most secure methods available to make purchases. Also, while not only being secure, I would like to use a payment method that allows me to make purchases without making my personal information and payment details available to the merchant. Unfortunately, traditional credit cards and the CurrentC system do not meet my needs in these aspects. Therefore, I will patronize the stores that do allow me to make secure, private transactions.
 
You know, that's a dramatic way of looking at it. I actually drive very little. There's hardly any reason to. I walk into a bank twice a month. Pretty unintrusive on my life. I stop at both of them 1 time each month.

Financial life is pretty simple. I know where my money is. And, I'm not on a quest to seek additional people to manage my purchases out of fear of losing money. Sounds like you got more to worry about than me.

Nope. Just place my iPhone close to the terminal and put my finger on the TouchID pad. Or use my credit card when Apple Pay is not available. Pay the credit card bill electronically when it comes in. The only time it's complicated is when my credit card data gets compromised due to the poor security on credit cards, so I'm going to try to use Apple Pay when possible.
 
So, let's say that inevitably, Apple Pay is compromised, and it will be sometime (that's a given)... then, you call your credit card company to contest, and they say "We see that you used Apple Pay" so this charge could only occur with your fingerprint on the phone. You say, I didn't authorize it, they say we don't believe you. And, you know what, you have nothing to request from them to prove you didn't do it.

I'd be interested in such a compromise, as it would be a huge issue for not just Apple Pay, but EMV in general which has been in use for years. Apple Pay is a branded EMV implementation, that's it.

Your phone holds onto a token and private key in an isolated part of the chip that is programmed to be "write and use", and not readable memory. The POS terminal and merchant is assumed hostile in this setup as well, which is the reason for the token. The main vectors of attack here are the A8 chip itself, or the payment network itself. If you can do the former, congrats, you just disassembled a phone chip in a clean room. Hope the owner didn't mark that token as invalid when they lost their phone. And if you can do the latter, you can get a lot of CCs without targeting tokenization itself, just like today.

But in general, the real places where fraud happens now to owners of chipped cards (EMV cards) is online where you can't use the chip, or by selling skimmed data to criminals in the U.S. where chipped cards aren't supported yet. Closing that second loophole is one key to driving fraud rates down across the board, and Apple Pay / Softcard does make skimming impossible due to tokenization. There's nothing useful to skim.

I suppose you could do a MitM during setup of Apple Pay to try and grab the private key. That'd be fun. Hope they don't notice that the wrong crypto keys are being used in transit...
 
How is this Apples problem?

Perhaps you meant to say "fault" because it's very much apples problem. Public relations is big and many will not simply realize this is a CVS issue, especially if they happen to see people using other forms of NFC. Apple has skin in the game now. They will want speedy repairs of a broken system that makes them look bad.
 
Good thing Berkeley has Walgreens and not Rite Aid. I'd be fine with this MCX thing if it actually looked better than Apple Pay, but it doesn't. Oh and I want Android to die so Java dies (just 'cause I hate Java) and so my experience with iOS programming is more useful, at least for some time. Not going to mask the truth.
 
Exactly what? That you don't understand the technology? Explain how Apple Pay could NOT be more secure than magnetic stripe swiping. I'll wait . . . . . . . . Have you even read the EMVco specifications? Here, I'll help you: http://www.emvco.com/specifications.aspx

At what point does someone realize they're in over their head and get out while they still can? It does make for an entertaining read though :p
 
Yeah, let all the people who wouldn't go there anyway join forces and tell them that they'll not go in there if they don't support Apple Pay.

This sounds more like an agenda than anything else.

Headlines should read, Apple fanatics who consider themselves too good to shop at Rite Aid make empty threats to boycott store they don't shop at anyway.
I just shopped at Rite Aid. I definitely wont now. I have an agenda. That agenda is support the forms of payment I want to use.
 
Target currently DOES this. That is where the 5% savings each trip (and if you sign up this week - an extra 5% some week in November) come in.

They are passing that savings on to you.

People STILL don't care. The majority value their "points, miles, rewards, credit hits" more than they value saving 5% each and every time they shop.

I have ZERO expectations that any other merchant will pass that savings on to their customers that move to the CurrentC app and use ACH payments. But Target at least is doing it now.

That said, my Target Debit card is swipe AND enter a pin number. That is an extra layer of security. In the great hack, the Target Debit cards were not compromised. No one from what I have read, had their checking account drained because of it.

I doubt the CurrentC scan of the QR code will then require the pin number to be used.

Are they going to lock it down with a Touch ID/pin number to get into the app? (won't that be ironic) That end remains to be seen by those of us outside of the test markets.

Would I use ApplePay at Target? Yes... except right now if I want my employee discount I MUST use cash or a target card (or a gift card I didn't buy with another CC).

5% sounds nice and all, but I get 2% on my regular card and don't shop at Target enough to make a difference. Plus, having been employed at Target myself, I wouldn't sign up for a red card out of principle. I spent too many years hearing it from my bosses because we weren't getting enough people to sign up for the damn cards. Target can take their red card and shove it.
 
Sure. I bet Target and Walmart will pass on any transaction fee savings directly to the consumer. Right. Keep dreaming.

Not sure what you have against Apple Pay -- a quick, convenient and secure way to use a credit card. But keep fighting the good fight.

Target would actually. We have their Target card and they don't have to pay for the credit card fees, so that is why you save 5% using the Target card. So yes, savings does get passed down to the customer.
 
The one thing history has taught us, is that it takes less time to find a way to defeat security than it did to devise the method of security.



Tokens are not in and of themselves foolproof. If you're relying on the idea of decades old encryption... realize that decades old encryption is not something new, nor is it impervious.



Apple designing a security system is even less convincing that it cannot be compromised. Anymore than if Microsoft were designing the security system. I wouldn't put my trust into either company as being the end-all ultimate in financial security.


The tokenization system wasn't designed by Apple. It was designed by the credit card companies to eliminate fraud. Apple just implemented the system on their phone.
 
But, they're in no hurry to pay out a percentage to Apple on every sale. They'll be just as happy to collect their usual full commission on traditional credit card purchases, and we won't be seeing them trying to eliminate plastic cards anytime soon.

Strike three, wrong again! Apple Pay is facilitating a portion of the Payment Process chain and will receive a cut for every transaction. Clearly you have no knowledge of the myriad of third party payment processors that might lie between the merchant accepting your credit card and your bank.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.