Why ApplePay is the killer feature for iOS8+iPhone 6

[riverfreak]

I haven't seen much discussion about ApplePay, but I have to say I am incredibly psyched for it's arrival. I think it's one of the killer features of iOS 8 couples with the new iPhones. Eddy's introduction of it was awesome.

Why?

ApplePay will essentially dispense with the idea of a single credit card number that can easily be jacked.

Ever lost or had credit cards stolen and had to deal with the whole fiasco of canceling them? And then the pain of updating all your autopay accounts? It's brutal. ApplePay promises to end all of that nightmare and hopefully cut down on all the credit card fraudster scum.

I think AP will quickly become indispensable and have a big impact in everyday modern life. I'm already impressed by the number of companies I work with that have send notices about it to me.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Michael CM1]

Just as with Google Wallet and other similar services, it depends on adoption. Apple Pay has the advantage of mostly securing transactions with a biometric scan using Touch ID. You can't guess someone's fingerprint. There are obviously ways to foil this system if you try hard enough, but it raises the bar much higher for crooks.

Also, I want a world by 2020 where I don't need to carry anything aside from a phone. If I get a case that holds a few bills and a couple of cards, I want the option to be otherwise wallet-free and key-free. Tesla is working on a system to unlock your car with an iPhone, and plenty of home door locks are smart.

Apple has some decent partners to start, but it will need more. Hopefully Target will just aboard soon. Then some big grocery chains are needed, as well as fuel stations.

I don't know how secure Google Wallet is, but PayPal made me laugh with its stupid ad. I barely use PayPal but my account got hacked for a $100 Walmart gift card purchase earlier this year.

 

[riverfreak]

Just as with Google Wallet and other similar services, it depends on adoption. Apple Pay has the advantage of mostly securing transactions with a biometric scan using Touch ID. You can't guess someone's fingerprint. There are obviously ways to foil this system if you try hard enough, but it raises the bar much higher for crooks.

Also, I want a world by 2020 where I don't need to carry anything aside from a phone. If I get a case that holds a few bills and a couple of cards, I want the option to be otherwise wallet-free and key-free. Tesla is working on a system to unlock your car with an iPhone, and plenty of home door locks are smart.

Apple has some decent partners to start, but it will need more. Hopefully Target will just aboard soon. Then some big grocery chains are needed, as well as fuel stations.

I don't know how secure Google Wallet is, but PayPal made me laugh with its stupid ad. I barely use PayPal but my account got hacked for a $100 Walmart gift card purchase earlier this year.

Thoughtful post. Thank you.

I'd love to have everyhing consolidated on my phone too.

When the migration to online services began, things became more secure. For example, being able to monitor credit card charges in real time was a huge benefit to identifying fraud quickly.

But now, with cloud services and shared devices coupled with old school credit card authorization procedures and password authentication schemes, security is at on all time low. Witness any of the recent high profile security breaches for examples.

I do see Apple's entry into this area as a positive development. It's clearly garnered the attention of the financial industry.

 

[bushido]

i dont, since i got robbed of my phone in a case that also included my credit card, metro pass and money once and nearly started to cry while being on the other side of town at 4am. never again will i store everything in the same place. lol

 

[JoeTomasone]

I agree with the OP. None of the retail breaches we have heard so much about would have likely compromised a transaction done with Apple Pay based on what we know about it to date.

However, we need to be cognizant that we don't yet know everything about it. For example, how is the Device number agreed upon once you enter your credit card data? Is that vulnerable to interception, and if so, does it matter?

I am very bullish that Apple has addressed security concerns, but as an IT security type, I know that this will be a sure target of very smart thieves, and we need to remember how crafty they can be. So I am cautiously optimistic, but until I see details on how this all works, I cannot say that they have "nailed it".

 

[mattjohnson78]

The reason Google Wallet didn't go anywhere is because the carriers didn't all approve and adopt it, only a few did. Google made it carrier dependant whereas Apple Pay is not controled by the carriers. This will make the biggest difference because Apple has always had power over the carriers, just look at how they update and there is no carrier software preinstalled on the iPhone. The updates and always getting the newest software is what brought me back to Apple, I hated how the carriers determined if the Android phone was updated or not. I don't believe there is much Google can do to bring me back.

 

[iolinux333]

I don't believe there is much Google can do to bring me back.

This really struck me. Google had me for years, I was so happy with them - I knew they were evil but they weren't stuffing it down my throat every day so I just went about my merry way...

but then it started with Google+

and then turning off SD card functionality

and then all that spy vs spy stuff

and then they shut out third party google voice apps

and then they were trying to force me to log into all of their software, like log into a freaking browser?!?

and finally i was so fed up i jumped over to apple almost completely at this point.

does that mean i'm happy with apple? hell no, they suck too, just not as bad, if there were any viable alternative i'd jump over to it in a nanosecond

but Google lost me forever, as did Microsoft before. Asshats!

Apple has a slim possibility of keeping me around if they quit going down the corporate evil path.

Google and MS are gone forever. Heck I'd get a mozilla phone first. It's out there, just on suck hardware right now.

 

[Nozuka]

paying with NFC is great, but it will be a pain until its accepted everywhere and some problems are worked out.

i have been using my NFC card alot the past few weeks and it was not always great.

examples:

every new cardreader installed here in switzerland seems to have the NFC feature. they are in almost every store by now. you can tell by the NFC sign on the side of the reader. BUT.. you dont actually know if the feature is activated or not. so basically you see it and think "great! lets use it!" .. then you hold your card there are few times and realize its not working. sometimes the staff tells you they don't support it, sometimes you'll just try till you give up.

and today i tried it in a store thats supposed to support it.. but it just did not work. and in the end it would have been much faster if i put the card in the slot and entered the PIN from the start.

it's very embarassing to be waving your card around and not having it work, especially with alot of people not even knowing what it is.
i can't imagine this being any better when you are actually doing it with your phone..

so again... it will be great - once its actually wide spread and works.

there should be some light indicating if its active or not..

 

[edhchoe]

I don't carry my wallet everyday because my normal days are so predictable. I only carry my drivers license, iPhone, and a smart car key for push button start car.
If the state can make electronic driver's license and if the car key signal can be stored in my iPhone, I would only be carrying my iPhone.
Right now it would be most convenient if the gas pumps accepted Apple Pay.