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Square announces the Register, a $999 point-of-sale device for larger businesses

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Re: Square announces the Register, a $999 point-of-sale device for larger businesses

#61

Post by dogma1138 »

Artemis2 wrote: post #56
lstamour wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or use Apple Pay (etc.) with the new contactless reader, then only your credit card network and bank can identify you based on the transaction.

Not really. The token merchants/payment processors get is very easily trackable across transactions. It is a bit harder to link to a real card number though.

Since you see transactions that occur on the card off Apple pay in the wallet also im pretty if Apple wanted they could just sell API access to 3rd parties banks and issuers already have that access possibility also payment processors.

Re: Square announces the Register, a $999 point-of-sale device for larger businesses

#62

Post by Artemis2 »

dogma1138 wrote: post #61
Artemis2 wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really. The token merchants/payment processors get is very easily trackable across transactions. It is a bit harder to link to a real card number though.

Since you see transactions that occur on the card off Apple pay in the wallet also im pretty if Apple wanted they could just sell API access to 3rd parties banks and issuers already have that access possibility also payment processors.

I don’t think Apple could sell transaction data:

> Apple Pay retains anonymous transaction information such as approximate purchase amount. This information can’t be tied back to the user and never includes what the user is buying.

https://www.apple.com/business/docs/iOS_Security_Guide.pdf, page 38.

They don’t have much information that the issuing bank/card network do not have already.

Re: Square announces the Register, a $999 point-of-sale device for larger businesses

#63

Post by mcovey »

koancone wrote: post #58
askafriend wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If privacy is that important to you then just pay cash. Otherwise your credit card company, your bank, Facebook, Equifax, Google and the store itself among others are all tracking you as much as possible across purchases in the physical retail world and across all your web traffic. All of these datapoints are being cross-correlated in a billion different ways. "I'm not on Facebook" - oh yes you are. There's a shadow…

Not everyone has a smart phone. I don't. Believe it or not you are not required to have a smart phone function in the word. At best it is a pointless waste or time and money gadget at worst it is a tracking device and profile builder.

I've never had one, and it's as difficult for me to understand why people think they need one, as it is for them to understand how I survive without one.

Re: Square announces the Register, a $999 point-of-sale device for larger businesses

#64

Post by mcovey »

notatoad wrote: post #24
bhhaskin wrote: post #10

Square is a privacy nightmare. They track your purchases across stores and tie your email to your credit card. The worst part is there is no "opt in" either. There is no privacy policy or terms of service that I agree to. My only option is to either pay in cash or not shop there.

You think Square is the only part of the credit-card purchasing process that's a privacy nightmare? Credit cards track your purchases. Square maybe makes it a bit more obvious that your purchase history is going up to the internet, but i'm not sure why you think other credit card processors aren't tracking you.

I understand they know where I shopped, that is clear on my statement each month. But they don't know what I bought, unless I shop at a store that only sells one thing.

Re: Square announces the Register, a $999 point-of-sale device for larger businesses

#65

Post by calciphus »

mcovey wrote: post #64
notatoad wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You think Square is the only part of the credit-card purchasing process that's a privacy nightmare? Credit cards track your purchases. Square maybe makes it a bit more obvious that your purchase history is going up to the internet, but i'm not sure why you think other credit card processors aren't tracking you.

I understand they know where I shopped, that is clear on my statement each month. But they don't know what I bought, unless I shop at a store that only sells one thing.

Many POS terminals send full purchase information back to the cc processor. This is used in fraud detection and also sold as part of your profile.

A while back Mastercard did a commercial where they showed you how you could see what you bought in your online statements.

Re: Square announces the Register, a $999 point-of-sale device for larger businesses

#66

Post by mcovey »

calciphus wrote: post #65
mcovey wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I understand they know where I shopped, that is clear on my statement each month. But they don't know what I bought, unless I shop at a store that only sells one thing.

Many POS terminals send full purchase information back to the cc processor. This is used in fraud detection and also sold as part of your profile. A while back Mastercard did a commercial where they showed you how you could see what you bought in your online statements.

It looks like this is called "Level 3 data" and primarily for corporate cards, not standard consumer credit cards. I'm not sure if that data is still collected for consumer purchases - I've never been offered any opportunity to see more detail about what I purchased, even for a price.

One significant benefit of having that data would be that it would be easier to remember and prove things you owned for insurance purposes after a loss.

Re: Square announces the Register, a $999 point-of-sale device for larger businesses

#67

Post by askafriend »

koancone wrote: post #58
askafriend wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If privacy is that important to you then just pay cash. Otherwise your credit card company, your bank, Facebook, Equifax, Google and the store itself among others are all tracking you as much as possible across purchases in the physical retail world and across all your web traffic. All of these datapoints are being cross-correlated in a billion different ways. "I'm not on Facebook" - oh yes you are. There's a shadow…

Not everyone has a smart phone. I don't. Believe it or not you are not required to have a smart phone function in the word. At best it is a pointless waste or time and money gadget at worst it is a tracking device and profile builder.

Your comment is incredibly short sighted and is on par with saying "Having a computer is not required to function in the world, at best it is pointless....".

For many people in the world, the smartphone is their only computer. For many people in the world, a smartphone is an invaluable tool that has been a driver of positive change. For many people in the world, a smartphone is required for them to make a living and put food on their family's table.

Having a smartphone is on par with having access to the internet to economic success in many societies.

Like the internet, yes the smartphone has a multitude of downsides that are well documented. But to throw the baby out with the bathwater and make sweeping statements like the one you've made is just wrong.

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