Tim Cook Says Pandemic Boosting Contactless Payment Adoption in United States

[lostngone]

It did for me. I put my cards in my wallet but never used contactless payment until the pandemic and now I use it almost exclusively.
A few places I go to still don’t support it most notably the gas station closest to my house.

 

[btrach144]

They're currently piloting it at QFC, actually. If it goes well, it should end up at all of their other brands at some point.

Really? I just moved away from a city with QFC. That’s a positive step forward!

 

[Wahlstrm]

we need to be able to store our ID securely on our phones too.

yes, I know some of you won't like the privacy implications of that, but I for one would gladly ditch my wallet completely.

We’ve had a form of Digital ID in Sweden for about 20 years now called BankID. In the beginning you could more or less just login to your bank and some government services like applying for different types of benefits etc.

Today it’s of course available as an app and it’s used all over the place. You can sign contracts, pay your bills, login to websites, apply for loans, open bank accounts, file your tax return etc by just using FaceID/TouchID.

It’s really convenient.

 

[armandxp]

I wonder if you would still need a physical card to buy alcohol, get into bars/clubs, airport screening?

From what I had read here in Florida, no. Would be contactless to buy alcohol, etc. who knows how this will really work out, though.

 

[armandxp]

Yes because handing my phone to a police officer at a traffic stop is definitely on the top ten list of things I've dreamt of being able to do.

And you don’t have to do that. Just give them your physical card. Geez. Always somebody a DebbieDowner. SMH

 

[tmiw]

Really? I just moved away from a city with QFC. That’s a positive step forward!

Yep. Still kinda sucks that they only did so because of the pandemic, but that seems like a common theme in general.

 

[Abazigal]

That's great Tim.
It's just a pity you have to take your mask off, and risk infection/death when you need to unlock your phone with face ID.
Everyone in the media seems to be saying Touch ID should have been a priority to have put in the power button for this years models, and from NOW thru the rest of this year and into most of next year? if the exact time this is needed.

Using Apple Pay via my Apple Watch is still the coolest way of paying for something.

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

I just set up ApplePay to pay for products from suppliers on Alibaba, and I have to say, it's a lot freaking easier to use than paying online with a credit card, as your delivery and billing address are stored in ApplePay, and you don't have to enter them, and the touch ID saves finding and entering you little 3 digit security code. I'm no fanboi, but this is actually great stuff.

 

[Robert.Walter]

Frankly, I think it's pretty sad that it took a pandemic to get a lot of America to get with the program. I'm not sure it was worth it, to be honest. If there was an option for us to be far less affected by the pandemic (in exchange for us, say, going QR over NFC back in 2014-15--or possibly never adopting mobile payment), it's something I'd at least give a second thought to.



When the US stops having some of the highest interchange fees in the Western world. In some respects, we should kinda be thankful that as many places accept cards as they do because had things gone a bit differently, I could totally see us using cash for nearly everything. Or at best, run into surcharges and minimum purchase requirements a lot more

Frankly, I think it's pretty sad that it took a pandemic to get a lot of America to get with the program. I'm not sure it was worth it, to be honest. If there was an option for us to be far less affected by the pandemic (in exchange for us, say, going QR over NFC back in 2014-15--or possibly never adopting mobile payment), it's something I'd at least give a second thought to.



When the US stops having some of the highest interchange fees in the Western world. In some respects, we should kinda be thankful that as many places accept cards as they do because had things gone a bit differently, I could totally see us using cash for nearly everything. Or at best, run into surcharges and minimum purchase requirements a lot more often.

Dude, the cost of interchange fees has been built into the sales prices for decades.

 

[RogueWarrior65]

Yeah, okay, but when I have to take off my mask to authorize it, what's the point?
Also, dear Chase, you suck for not allowing my business card to work with it.

 

[remington79]

Yeah, okay, but when I have to take off my mask to authorize it, what's the point?
Also, dear Chase, you suck for not allowing my business card to work with it.

My bank doesn’t support Apple Pay so I can only use credit cards. I can’t add cash to send to other people unless it’s from cash back that’s added up from my Apple Card.
It’s not something I’d do often be it’d be nice to be able to do. I talked to the bank earlier this year and they just said they were looking at it and maybe later this year. That was in March or April.

 

[dontwalkhand]

From what I had read here in Florida, no. Would be contactless to buy alcohol, etc. who knows how this will really work out, though.

Yes. There is a barcode the other party would scan, similar to the existing barcodes used today on the back of IDs

 

[dontwalkhand]

Yes because handing my phone to a police officer at a traffic stop is definitely on the top ten list of things I've dreamt of being able to do.

Again, barcode.

 

[dontwalkhand]

When can I stop having to choose debit/credit and entering my PIN?

At stores that have it set up correctly. Of course grocers will always try to ask for PIN to save money.

Some even put a notice on the screen that says “Choose debit, help keep prices low”

 

[D3ggy]

I’m in the UK and contactless payment is so widespread I have stopped carrying a wallet.

 

[truthertech]

Vote with your wallet
Go to their competition

They are no longer holding out. They are putting in new terminals and phasing them in. I use Apple Pay there all the time.

 

[zorinlynx]

Again, barcode.

It'll go like this:

Officer: "Hand it over."

You: "I'm not required to by law, you can just scan the code."

Officer: "Hand it over now."

You: "But I don't have to!"

Officer: "Step out of the car please."


They. Don't. Care. I'd rather not give them a reason to even think about taking my phone.

 

[dontwalkhand]

It'll go like this:

Officer: "Hand it over."

You: "I'm not required to by law, you can just scan the code."

Officer: "Hand it over now."

You: "But I don't have to!"

Officer: "Step out of the car please."


They. Don't. Care. I'd rather not give them a reason to even think about taking my phone.

The states that did implement it actually also passed laws saying that they aren’t allowed to touch the phone. And in all cases the officers have respected this in states that have the license. Of course you have the freedom to not use the app at a traffic stop and can just keep the license in your car, and can still use the app at stores and bars just fine.

 

[zorinlynx]

The states that did implement it actually also passed laws saying that they aren’t allowed to touch the phone. And in all cases the officers have respected this in states that have the license. Of course you have the freedom to not use the app at a traffic stop and can just keep the license in your car, and can still use the app at stores and bars just fine.

I guess we'll see how it plays out. My trust in the police is at an all time low lately. I'm definitely not a full-on "ACAB" guy, but I recognize what's been going on lately and am quite unhappy with it.

 

[tmiw]

Dude, the cost of interchange fees has been built into the sales prices for decades.

Doesn't mean they still don't consider the fact that they exist (at least at their current levels) a problem. Case in point:

At stores that have it set up correctly. Of course grocers will always try to ask for PIN to save money.

Some even put a notice on the screen that says “Choose debit, help keep prices low”

Not to mention the decades long lawsuit against the networks regarding them (which, BTW, a fair number still opted out of the proposed settlement because they wanted to be able refuse certain "high cost" cards, e.g. Visa Signature).

Also, it wasn't that long ago where the majority of small transactions in the US were paid for with cash. If you're already not a huge fan of cards, why enable something that has historically increased card use? At least with apps like Walmart Pay, they eventually have an opening to transition many of those users away from cards by encouraging use of, say, an ACH payment option in-app instead of a stored card.

That all said, it is technically possible to run debit cards "as debit" without needing a PIN, but I'm not sure if that's feasible for contactless unless it can be done regardless of transaction amount. It happens for us at 99C Only and Walmart all the time, for example.