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Apple unveils contactless payments via Tap to Pay on iPhone

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Re: Apple unveils contactless payments via Tap to Pay on iPhone

#681
post #14

Clarification due to a somewhat confusing title: This is about the merchant using an iPhone to accept credit cards and other Tap to Pay devices. The customer was able to pay with Tap to Pay with their iPhone for a while now.

The real news is Apple specifically took a non competitive stance — making the API available to third parties like Stripe - rather than building in house, leveraging Apple Card connections, or similar

Hey! Apple Card is also a partnership (with Goldman Sachs). Goldman is not in acquiring business, so Apple had to find another partner

Re: Apple unveils contactless payments via Tap to Pay on iPhone

#682
post #667

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am surprised Apple didn't make this a closed system and compete with Square for small businesses. Apple isn't Microsoft. When was the last time Apple created something consumer facing from scratch instead of using industry standards or market leaders if they exist? They generally don't explicitly compete with commodity businesses unless there's something unique they're attempting to accomplish. They do stuff just b…

The most obvious things are their cash cows: the iPhone and the app store. The M1 is also customer facing, vs partnering with Intel to make it

Did they not partner with TSMC?

IIRC, Apple wanted Intel to fab their silicon, but Intel refused. It’s only since Gelsiner took over that Intel is open to fabbing other designs.

Re: Apple unveils contactless payments via Tap to Pay on iPhone

#683
post #676

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The magnetic stripe is basically phased out in Australia. Sometimes readers let you swipe if the chip doesn’t read after the second try, but the terminals actually don’t let you swipe otherwise and tell you to insert the card if you try! It’s been like this for several years now - and tap to pay has basically been the default (for purchases under $100) for even longer.

I think the limit has been raised now? I bought something for around $130 and tapped for it the other day

It was raised to $200 when the pandemic went into full swing, for 3 months initially and was extended. Most recent thing I found about it is from Sept last year - https://www.auspaynet.com.au/resources/ContactlessLimits

Re: Apple unveils contactless payments via Tap to Pay on iPhone

#684
post #474

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They can always take a competitive stance later, once small businesses have gotten rid of all their PoS hardware. This makes that initial adoption much easier.

While it will reduce how often card readers will be used, card readers will be around for a while yet. In many markets contactless (atlest with real plastic) still has limits requiring the card holder to validate themselves (in the UK it’s a max of £100 per transaction and £200 over multiple transactions) and some card holders dislike contactless completely so have cards without it. So in those markets you will still…

Also not all banks are even universally issuing tap to pay cards. None of my credit or debit cards are yet

Re: Apple unveils contactless payments via Tap to Pay on iPhone

#685

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You do actually need the bank's permission to enroll a card for Apple/Android Pay, it is a feature they have to support.

It is today with different added features, but back in the 2010s you didn't need your bank to support it. You could do it with your VISA/Mastercard/AMEX credit or debit card.

In what country? I tried to add my cards to Google Pay the day it came out and some were allowed and others weren't.

Re: Apple unveils contactless payments via Tap to Pay on iPhone

#686
post #466

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Contactless bank cards were widespread in the UK before Apple or Google had their own payment systems. I think the "real story", as it were, is that the banking industry held contactless payments way more than Apple ever did.

This is not true! Sorry for the passion but i was involved in the mobile payment scene at the time. It was not the banks halting the development of mobile payment. It was: 1- Apple 2- MNOs (Mobile Network Operators) 3- Samsung Apple closed off the iphone NFC api which dried up VC funding in the mobile payment scene. This is one of the reason we have QR Codes everywhere today, and not NFC tags. To securely process mob…

You're replying to someone talking about contactless card payments, and you're talking about mobile payments. They are not the same thing.

Re: Apple unveils contactless payments via Tap to Pay on iPhone

#687

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've had a lot of taxi drivers tell me they couldn't take credit cards at all. That is, until I tell them "I have no other way to pay, so I guess... later dude". Suddenly it's, "oh, oh, oh, the card reader is working again, look at that!"

This reminds of of when I was in Oslo back in 2014. We ordered food at a small restaurant after confirming they accepted credit cards. When it came time to pay, the woman behind the counter refused to scan our credit cards because they had no chips. (It would have worked, every other card terminal we'd used in the country still supported magstripe, and I saw that her machine had a scanner. She didn't say the reader w…

> It would have worked, every other card terminal we'd used in the country still supported magstripe, and I saw that her machine had a scanner. She didn't say the reader was broken or anything, just refused to try.

Just because the terminal has a magstripe reader on doesn't mean her merchant account provider accepts it. Plenty don't, or some transfer the liability to the store in that case.

> If the card hadn't worked I would've felt bad and probably done that, but she wouldn't even try it. Don't advertise that you take credit cards and get mad when customers try to use them.

In 2014 a card that doesn't have a chip might as well be broken. I don't think you can put this one on her.

Re: Apple unveils contactless payments via Tap to Pay on iPhone

#688
post #360

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cards are slowly moving towards not having printed numbers at all, and having the numbers only available via the issuer's app or website. This allows for rotating numbers.

Rotating numbers are still extremely viable with fixed card numbers - it's possible to issue a set of semi-permenant printed numbers and also offer a tool that can issue additional digits for untrustworthy retailers or strange one-off payments. The removal of digits from the card itself is a cost being levied on the customer and it provides no real benefit.

Removal of digits reduces reissuances which are annoying for both issuer and customer.

Re: Apple unveils contactless payments via Tap to Pay on iPhone

#689
post #288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> drinks are free but there's still an etiquette that you should leave a tip which generally means cash. In my experience on such rare few occasions I was able to tip with Venmo.

Is there a "tip with venmo" poster displayed or do you have to ask the bartender their venmo account name? I've never seen this before, but agreed that it's rare.

I'd just say "sorry I run out of cash, can I Venmo/Zelle you?"

Re: Apple unveils contactless payments via Tap to Pay on iPhone

#690
post #409

Earlier quoted context omitted.

..just dont go to Germany. We are not very advanced in that regard. Of course huge amounts of stores offer contactless paying, but generally Cash is still dominant around here. Change is slow, and currently, Cash is still king, especially with small or street merchants.

To clarify, you can rely on nearly any supermarket or drug store to accept credit cards / contactless these days. Daily shopping is no problem. Smaller stores or restaurants, forget it. Bring cash.

It has gotten much better in the pandemic. I pay at the bakery etc with cards. Not sure when I last paid enything with cash. Only caveat is that "cards" not always means Visa/MC/AmEx, but can mean Girocard only. If that is the case (and I'd just ask) then you as a non German will have to pay cash.
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