“A consortium of major retailers backing a mobile-payments effort has replaced its chief executive a day after member Best Buy announced it would support a competing system created by Apple,” Steven Musil reports for CNET.
“Merchant Customer Exchange, or MCX, announced Tuesday that Dekkers Davidson was leaving the group ‘to pursue other opportunities.’ Davidson, who had served as MCX’s chief since 2013, will be replaced on an interim basis by Brian Mooney, former CEO of Bank of America Merchant Services,” Musil reports. “The change in leadership comes a day after electronics retailer Best Buy announced that its customers could now use Apple Pay to complete purchases made through the electronics retailer’s app and would soon be able to use the mobile-payments system in store. Best Buy was a supporter of CurrentC, the system created by MCX, which has the backing of such merchants as Walmart, Target and Lowe’s.”
“Not long after Apple Pay’s launch, the payments system ran into resistance from a group of MCX merchants, with some members of the consortium deciding to disable consumers’ ability to use Apple Pay in anticipation of the launch of MCX’s alternative payments service. MCX denied encouraging the Rite Aid and CVS drugstore chains to block Apple Pay by disabling NFC terminals,” Musil reports. “CurrentC, which is expected to launch widely this year, relies on QR codes rather than fingerprint identification, potentially making the system less convenient than Apple Pay. It also lacks support for NFC and the tap-and-pay feature found on Apple Pay and Google Wallet, which also uses the same technology.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: They really need to rename CurrentC.
DOA is more like it.
Boycott CVS and Rite Aid and any other company that willfully turns off NFC in an effort to block the vastly more secure, much more private, and far easier-to-use Apple Pay service.
Related articles:
Best Buy capitulates, to accept Apple Pay despite CurrentC allegiance – April 27, 2015
Major retailers see Apple Pay wave – November 17, 2014
In only 3 weeks, Apple Pay is changing how consumers pay – November 17, 2014
Boycott CVS and Rite Aid – October 27, 2014
Bad business: CVS and Rite Aid antagonize their most well-heeled customers by blocking Apple Pay – October 27, 2014
CVS stores reportedly disabling NFC to shut down Apple Pay – October 25, 2014
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Yet more proof that Android is for poor people – June 27, 2014
More proof that Android is for poor people – May 13, 2014
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“Boycott CVS”
Or just loot and burn them down while the police watch…..
Ok. Wow. Full disclosure. I’m African-American. I have family in Baltimore area. That comment was hilarious, yet wrong on so many levels!!!!
Yeah, the whole situation annoys me. I used to love visiting ‘Ball-di-mer’ in the late 80s when I lived in DC.
The smell of McCormick, the harbor, National Aquarium and even a trip to Memorial Stadium to see the Orioles take on my Rangers were all great times.
Hopefully they can get their act together.
Wow, this could get interesting.
Let the drama begin. I am going to enjoy watching the MCX infighting.
I seriously doubt there will be anything vaguely “interesting” about the certain death of CurrentC. It’s already on life-support before it leaves the womb.
Run along to Breitbard.com, TowerTone, we’re here to discuss Apple technology.
Then do it, pussy.
I was at Home Depot, on Saturday. My Visa Debit card get’s declined after a certain amount, with the message, must swipe card, when trying to use Apple Pay. I have used the same card there before, on smaller amounts, without issue.
Hmmm, maybe a debit card thing to require card present to allow sales over a certain amount. Just saying.
There is a dollar limit of $100 in Canada for “tap” transactions imposed by most of the credit card companies. I’d imagine the same rules will apply for Apple Pay in the USA.
I will call my bank and see if that is the case. It would make sense. I guess Apple Pay is meant for many small transactions, until trust is established.
I’ve seen no such limit — I regularly purchase well over $100 with Apple Pay at Whole Foods etc.
That limit makes sense for simple NFC tap cards. It does not make sense for NFC backed by fingerprint authentication, since it’s on the same level of trust as a chip-and-PIN (and both are above a swipe-and-sign).
Not saying you’re wrong that this might be the reason, merely that if it *is* the reason, then the credit card companies are wrong.
Wrong or not… you can’t blame them for being cautious about a new device. Chip n’ Pin is something the CC companies 100% control. In any case, it’s hard to know if most terminals really can tell the difference between Apple Pay and Tap Cards. And it also depends on where the code resides that makes the call. In any case, as it gets widespread use and they start to get complaints from users, I’m sure they will up the limit if it’s the case. So… you should complain to your CC vendor.
Why use a Debit Card?
I use my Visa or AMEX and get cash back in all purchases – I never pay any interest as my card is paid off monthly.
My bank card is a debit card. I have CC, but I like using my DB. Sure CC 1% to 3% back, has some advantages, but not necessarily worth the trouble. Well 3% is worth the trouble… lol
I guess the ex-CEO saw the QR code on the wall.
sorry but i don’t see any need for any boycott of anywhere.
allow CurrentC to survive.
that is the best thing for both iPay consumers and for AAPL.
The boycott is for establishments, like Rite-Aid and CVS, that intentionally disable their system that once accepted Apple Pay because they want direct access to your bank account, er, I mean try to make you use their CurrentC.
Guys I want to use my Pay EVERYWHERE and agree we should lobby places we shop to support it, it makes great sense and is MUCH more secure than a regular CC, HOWEVER lets not get in bed with Credit Card Companies…I’d love to see a solution where I can use Pay AND bypass MasterCard, AMEX and VISA that Cartel has too long been bleeding the masses dry.
I don’t shop at Rite-Aid and CVS any more and I had forgotten why. I can’t see shopping there ever again even if they turn NFC back on. their brands are dead to me.