Safeway Rolling Out Apple Pay This Month in United States

[thisisnotmyname]

Albertsons were all converted to something else around here and then shuttered a couple months later, I'm not sure why as they were in good locations, I've always assumed something must have gone very wrong with the corporate parent. Which other brands does Safeway own? Ralphs are Kroger, correct? Pavilions? Gelson's? The Von's I've been in seemed like it wasn't well taken care of but perhaps it was just that one location.

 

[dyt1983]

Safeway uk was a subsidiary of safeway America inc.
The uk side was merged into morrisons in 2005

quoted from wiki:

Safeway was a chain of supermarkets and convenience stores in the United Kingdom. It started as a subsidiary of the American Safeway Inc., before being sold off in 1987. ... Most of its 479 stores were rebranded as Morrisons, with others being sold off.

Yeah, to make your point, you failed to highlight that it was actually part of Argyll after 1987, over 30 years. I don't know about you, but I definitely would have been in one only after 1987, when it was a diferent company.

 

[eoblaed]

Really hoping this is true. Even the small natural food grocer in town takes Apple Pay (through a normal pay pad, not Square).

Would love to see Safeway engage in this as well.

 

[blacktape242]

if only target would do the same!

 

[Solomani]

Stater Bros had accepted ApplePay for over a year now, but they don't advertise it nor do they even show those ApplePay stickers. Even the cashiers are surprised I was able to use it at their store.

 

[BlendedFrog]

Go to Meijer’s instead. You can use Apple Pay at the register and directly at the pump!
[doublepost=1506951012][/doublepost]

See my suggestion regarding Meijer’s having Apple Pay at both the register and pump.
[doublepost=1506951115][/doublepost]
Kroger successfully tested Apple Pay in Arizona a couple of years ago. Since then it has been radio silence. Inquiries result in “no plans to use it.”

Seek alternatives. From Costco, Kroger and Target, we moved a goodly part of our shopping to Meijer & Kohl’s.

There's no Meijer's where I live...although where I used to live there was a huge one and I loved shopping there. I like shopping at Kohl's and AP is quite easy to use there.

Didn't realize that Jewel already accepts it. They don't advertise contactless payments at all.

 

[tmiw]

Stater Bros had accepted ApplePay for over a year now, but they don't advertise it nor do they even show those ApplePay stickers. Even the cashiers are surprised I was able to use it at their store.

I've seen the Apple Pay logo in their mailers before, actually.

Anyway, the whole Apple Pay rollout's made me a bit cynical so I wouldn't be surprised if we never go away from signing most of the time for stuff despite using AP. Even places that should have the capability to support CDCVM (PetSmart, anywhere using Clover, etc.) don't bother with it.

 

[kdarling]

POS handling in the US is so odd

Unlike some countries where almost all POS terminals are controlled by a handful of banks, in the US sales terminals are an entire capitalistic business unto itself

 

[eoblaed]

if only target would do the same!

Target is the only major retailer I visit on a regular basis that won't support it. Yet.

 

[BlendedFrog]

Target is the only major retailer I visit on a regular basis that won't support it. Yet.

Didn't Target announce that they were going to do a Target Pay system, much like Walmart did their Walmart Pay?

 

[Diode]

The Safeway near me replaced all their card terminals with new ones that accept contactless a bit ago. Was wondering when they would turn it on - now if only they will fix their self checkout so it will properly identify personal bags "The system cannot identify your bags, if you've placed anything....." Sigh

 

[QuarterSwede]

Go to Meijer’s instead. You can use Apple Pay at the register and directly at the pump!
[doublepost=1506951012][/doublepost]

See my suggestion regarding Meijer’s having Apple Pay at both the register and pump.
[doublepost=1506951115][/doublepost]
Kroger successfully tested Apple Pay in Arizona a couple of years ago. Since then it has been radio silence. Inquiries result in “no plans to use it.”

Seek alternatives. From Costco, Kroger and Target, we moved a goodly part of our shopping to Meijer & Kohl’s.

Nope. No Meijer’s where I live and the Safeway we have is a pain to get in and out of. Our King Sooper’s (Kroger) is much easier to get to and Costco only carries certain things you can’t get anywhere else; generally their in-house Kirkland brand is very high quality.

I use Apple Pay when I can (Walgreens, my barber, Whole Foods, other places I’m forgetting).

People are also forgetting that retailers not only have to support payment most have to support returns to. That’s much more difficult when more and more are locking fund returns to the payment method (usually a card) used.

 

[Solomani]

Target is the only major retailer I visit on a regular basis that won't support it. Yet.

That's because large retailers like Target and Walmart are hell bent on using their own proprietary pay systems. So ApplePay won't be seen there anytime in the forseeable future.

But let's all remember that in 2013 Target was one of the biggest targets of credit card account breach, the largest hack of any retailer at that time. Millions of Target customers. So no chance in hell I'd ever feel secure with "Target Pay" or any such system they implement.

Massive Target credit card breach new step in security war with hackers: experts

Target Sued for Credit Card Hack Data, up to 40 million customers was put at risk

 

[Alan Wynn]

I should have specified SoCal.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albertsons?wprov=sfti1 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albertsons?wprov=sfti1

Albertsons bought Safeway a couple of years ago. We still have both storefronts here in SoCal.

What a convoluted corporate history. Having read the entry, it is clear that only the lawyers and financiers made money in all these machinations.

I do hope that Von's starts to accept ApplePay. We have switched most of our grocery shopping to Sprouts, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods (home of Echo as proclaimed by giant banners in our local store) from Ralph's and Target. Walgreens gets our pharmacy business instead of CVS.

Apple Pay is so much faster and more convenient.

Now if Home Depot would just enable it in its stores, that would be great.
[doublepost=1506962783][/doublepost]

Didn't realize that Jewel already accepts it. They don't advertise contactless payments at all.

Jewel-Osco was one of the original supporters.

 

[eoblaed]

Didn't Target announce that they were going to do a Target Pay system, much like Walmart did their Walmart Pay?

That's because large retailers like Target and Walmart are hell bent on using their own proprietary pay systems. So ApplePay won't be seen there anytime in the forseeable future.

But let's all remember that in 2013 Target was one of the biggest targets of credit card account breach, the largest hack of any retailer at that time. Millions of Target customers. So no chance in hell I'd ever feel secure with "Target Pay" or any such system they implement.

Massive Target credit card breach new step in security war with hackers: experts

Target Sued for Credit Card Hack Data, up to 40 million customers was put at risk

I know that's their plan, but I'm guessing those proprietary systems will fall by the wayside similar to the CurrentC debacle that retailers like Best Buy backed heavily.

Well, that's my hope, anyway.

 

[TomaxXamot]

Meanwhile in Canada tap to pay was widely adopted prior to Apple Pay, which was integrated seamlessly almost everywhere immediately.

Yeah I don't get it. I was under the impression that if a business' POS had contactless payment functionality then Apple Pay would automatically work, yet I keep seeing articles on MacRumors saying this or that business is getting Apple Pay. So did Safeway US have contactless before and now added Apple Pay support or are they just getting contactless for the first time and that, by default, means they'll have Apple Pay?

 

[Tux Kapono]

Anyone know the real reason why Harris Teeter stopped accepting Apple Pay? First I've heard of any retailer stop taking Apple Pay.

 

[eoblaed]

Yeah I don't get it. I was under the impression that if a business' POS had contactless payment functionality then Apple Pay would automatically work, yet I keep seeing articles on MacRumors saying this or that business is getting Apple Pay. So did Safeway US have contactless before and now added Apple Pay support or are they just getting contactless for the first time and that, by default, means they'll have Apple Pay?

That's sort of true. While I don't know the ins-and-outs of it automatically working, I know it's pretty easy for an outfit to disable it. I know of several large firms that disabled it almost out of the box until they could 'test' it. For example, Apple Pay worked at my local Home Depot for a few months after Apple Pay came out, then just stopped. I haven't tested it there in some time, but it sounds like they're still not supporting it even though it initially worked.

Same thing with Best Buy. It worked at first, but they disabled it very quickly as they'd thrown their bet behind 'CurrentC'. About a year and a half later, Best Buy threw in the towel and re-enabled Apple Pay.

 

[dontwalkhand]

Hopefully that includes Tom Thumb and Randalls stores in Texas.

Yes it does! And Southern Cal Vons too!!
[doublepost=1506965461][/doublepost]

Anyone know the real reason why Harris Teeter stopped accepting Apple Pay? First I've heard of any retailer stop taking Apple Pay.

Kroger bought them out and the new Kroger systems don’t support it.
[doublepost=1506965517][/doublepost]

Yeah I don't get it. I was under the impression that if a business' POS had contactless payment functionality then Apple Pay would automatically work, yet I keep seeing articles on MacRumors saying this or that business is getting Apple Pay. So did Safeway US have contactless before and now added Apple Pay support or are they just getting contactless for the first time and that, by default, means they'll have Apple Pay?

No they only had chip card but no contactless before. They also have the slowest Chip and PIN readers in the nation! This is a welcome change.

 

[parseckadet]

Nope. No Meijer’s where I live and the Safeway we have is a pain to get in and out of. Our King Sooper’s (Kroger) is much easier to get to and Costco only carries certain things you can’t get anywhere else; generally their in-house Kirkland brand is very high quality.

I use Apple Pay when I can (Walgreens, my barber, Whole Foods, other places I’m forgetting).

People are also forgetting that retailers not only have to support payment most have to support returns to. That’s much more difficult when more and more are locking fund returns to the payment method (usually a card) used.

Not to mention Safeway is just a step below Whole Foods in terms of price. One of their stores recently closed near me a month ago, and the whole place was on clearance. Even their clearance prices were higher than the regular prices at King Sooper's. I never understood how a box of Cheerio's could be 50 cents more just because you went to a different store.

 

[KnighsTalker]

That's because large retailers like Target and Walmart are hell bent on using their own proprietary pay systems. So ApplePay won't be seen there anytime in the forseeable future.

But let's all remember that in 2013 Target was one of the biggest targets of credit card account breach, the largest hack of any retailer at that time. Millions of Target customers. So no chance in hell I'd ever feel secure with "Target Pay" or any such system they implement.

Massive Target credit card breach new step in security war with hackers: experts

Target Sued for Credit Card Hack Data, up to 40 million customers was put at risk

They're "...hell bent on using their own proprietary pay systems..." because they want to track our purchases. One day soon, real soon, one of them will be hacked. All hell will break loose and they'll come around to using NFC payments such as Apple Pay because customers will demand it!

 

[BruiserB]

It does feel like there is finally some traction in places taking ApplePay....even if they don't all even know they take it. Whenever I see the contactless logo on a register I try it, usually to the surprise of the cashier. I used it in Aldi a few days before it was announced here. My cafeteria at work (run by Sodexo) just changed terminals so they could take chip cards instead of the cashier swiping them. I noticed the symbol before inserting my card and used my phone to the amazement of the cashier. Later in the day she saw me and told me that she told the manager and he became alarmed because he thought I somehow scammed them because they "don't take ApplePay". I got the impression they thought ApplePay was another type of credit card...not just a different way of transmitting the info from one of the standard card issuers. Slowly but surely acceptance seems to be moving forward.

 

[tmiw]

They're "...hell bent on using their own proprietary pay systems..." because they want to track our purchases. One day soon, real soon, one of them will be hacked. All hell will break loose and they'll come around to using NFC payments such as Apple Pay because customers will demand it!

A lot of the holdouts already have some sort of opt-in loyalty system though. That's why I think it's more due to retailers vastly preferring you use something other than a card to pay (or if you really must, use a debit card with a PIN instead of skipping entering the PIN/using a credit card), so they're not really going to go out of their way to do more than the minimum required.

 

[AcesHigh87]

Meanwhile in Canada tap to pay was widely adopted prior to Apple Pay, which was integrated seamlessly almost everywhere immediately.

Yup. Apple Pay launched and anywhere that I could tap before I was using it. I rarely pull my cards out at all anymore. It's crazy to me that Apple Pay has been out longer in the US and still isn't standard because individual companies need to accept it. Hell, so many stores down there don't even accept chip cards yet, at least they didn't the last time I was there. I don't even remember the last time I swiped a card up here. Get with the times America. You guys are developing all this great tech (that often takes ages to get elsewhere) but vastly underutilizing it.

 

[Ntombi]

Yeah I don't get it. I was under the impression that if a business' POS had contactless payment functionality then Apple Pay would automatically work, yet I keep seeing articles on MacRumors saying this or that business is getting Apple Pay. So did Safeway US have contactless before and now added Apple Pay support or are they just getting contactless for the first time and that, by default, means they'll have Apple Pay?

That. It has nothing to do with Apple Pay in particular, but contactless payment at all.

Some of the stores I frequent are still making the rollout to chip readers, and that’s federally mandated.