“Square Inc. is giving merchants more than $12,000 worth of Apple Pay transactions for free over a year, another effort by the company to encourage consumers to pay for quick retail transactions with their mobile phones,” Selina Wang reports for Bloomberg.
“The electronic payments processor is betting the investment will boost sales of its contactless readers and entice new merchants to sign on to the system,” Wang reports. “The campaign with Apple Inc.’s digital payment technology will be targeted at retail businesses with counter tops — as opposed to food trucks and street sellers that were among Square’s earliest customers.”
“Consumer use of mobile wallets such as Apple Pay ‘is still new, it’s early days, and it’s small,’ Jesse Dorogusker, Square’s head of hardware, said in an interview. ‘But we think the opportunity is big if we can communicate the right story — speed to get in and out of a business matter and it’s also a more secure transaction,'” Wang reports. “Joshua Kulp, a Square merchant and owner of Honey Butter Fried Chicken in Chicago, said Apple Pay is much more popular with his customers than credit cards, particularly as the cards have transitioned from swipe strips to embedded chips. ‘Keeping the line moving and flowing is very important to us,’ said Kulp. ‘When chip readers came out, we all noticed it took seconds longer than everyone was used to. With Apple pay it’s so fast.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: We use Apple Pay every where it’s possible to do so, but, we’re the minority. Apple could have spurred usage more quickly with incentives and signage.
Two simple things could turbocharge Apple Pay usage: Better (or actual) signage at the point of sale and incentives for using Apple Pay. Imagine Apple Pay usage if Apple simply offered $1 to spend at the Apple Store for every hundred spent via Apple Pay. – MacDailyNews, November 30, 2016
SEE ALSO:
Apple Pay transactions are growing at a rapid rate – November 30, 2016
Apple Pay messaging at point-of-sale drives 135% increase in mobile payments usage – November 21, 2016
Apple Pay at two years: Not much to celebrate – yet – October 20, 2016
Apple Pay’s frequency of usage is putrid – August 3, 2016
Apple Pay and wannabes must offer perks to grow – December 14, 2015
Starbucks, KFC, and Chili’s to accept Apple Pay this year – October 8, 2015
Barclays to bring Apple Pay to the UK in early 2016 – October 7, 2015
Some Best Buy stores are now accepting Apple Pay – September 18, 2015
MCX CEO gone a day after Apple Pay lands Best Buy – April 28, 2015
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
iPhone users earn significantly more than those who settle for Android phones – October 8, 2014
Yet more proof that Android is for poor people – June 27, 2014
More proof that Android is for poor people – May 13, 2014
Apple’s iOS dominates in richer countries, Android in poorer regions – March 25, 2014
Twitter heat map shows iPhone use by the affluent, Android by the poor – June 20, 2013