According to a supposedly leaked memo by a Walgreens official to store managers all over the country, Walgreens has already boarded the ship; it has enabled all of its 8,000+ stores in the US to accept Apple Pay. It is also implied in the memo that many other companies are already on board to accept the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) technology, which (according to the letter) will launch on Oct 18.
This is exciting news, but many smartphone users are not very excited about the Apple Pay technology, after witnessing the subtle and disappointing launch and applicability of the Google Wallet payment system. In 2011, Google launched Google Wallet, an NFC payment method integrated within its android OS. For a person to utilize the NFC payment method, he/she had to have an NFC enabled smartphone, and it came as a built in feature in the Nexus 4.
It took users a long time before it switched over to credit card payment method, and it’s going to take an equally longer time (if not more) for them to switch over to NFC (near-field communication) payment method, which Apple Pay uses. The reason behind this delay is the element of doubt; whether the payment method is secure, to be precise. But Apple Pay seems determined to narrow the gap between the two, and is trying hard to make the leap of faith easier for consumers all over United States.
At the time of Google Wallet’s launch, there was a lot of speculation about the reception of the NFC technology. Many analysts praised the technology for revolutionizing payment methods, but doubted its popularity. According to them, questions like “Is the NFC payment method secure?” or “Has Google put in enough checks and balances to ensure confidentiality and privacy of users?” will be on android users’ mind. Rob Enderle, an analyst at Enderle Group, reinforces this argument, saying “it’s one of those things where Google has to get you to try it, and then they’ve got to reinforce the experience so you keep using it, and then eventually leave your credit cards at home.”
But Apple promises a rewarding shopping experience with the Apple Pay technology, the newest addition to its list of features in the iPhone, an NFC system built into its new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. By using its Touch ID technology from the iPhone 5S, all payments made through the Apple Pay system will need to be validated by fingerprint. Google Wallet did not offer such advanced security mechanism, and this is where Apple Pay captures some well-deserved attention.
However, another question which is on everyone’s mind is this: where is Apple Pay applicable? The NFC technology has been in existence for quite some time and thousands of stores in the United States already have NFC technology installed, Walgreens being a supposed member.
The number of stores which will be accepting the Apple Pay payment method after its launch is still a mystery, as Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has not made an official statement in this regard. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have yet to receive the iOS 8.1 update, which will have the Apple Pay feature.
