Apple has announced the expansion of it’s Apple Pay program to five more businesses in the US. These include Target, Taco Bell, Jack in the Box, Hy-Vee, and Speedway.
Apple Pay will now be available in 74 out of the top 100 retail supermarkets in the US, allowing customers to use their iPhones or Apple Watches to pay for their items. This latest move means Apple Pay will work at 65% of all retail locations in the country, according to Apple.
Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Internet Services, at Apple said:
“Whether customers are buying everyday household items, groceries, snacks for a road trip or grabbing a quick meal, Apple Pay is the easiest way to pay in stores, while also being secure and faster than using a credit or debit card at the register. We’re thrilled even more customers will be able to pay at their favorite stores and restaurants using the Apple devices that are always with them.”
Apple Pay’s Growth
Apple has admitted that the real purpose behind Apple Pay is not profit generation. It is meant to keep iPhone users hooked to their devices. Phones can store credit card details, movie tickets, and even airline boarding passes all in the Apple Wallet app. It currently works in 27 countries and over 5000 bank partners.
This recent development will add 14,000 new stores to the ones where Apple Pay currently works. 7000 of these stores are Taco Bells, while Target makes up 1,850 of the new stores, Speedway 3000, Jack in the Box restaurants 2,200, and Hy-Vee grocery stores another 245.
Apple Pay experienced similar growth in 2o18 as well. It added CVS pharmacies, 7-11 convenience stores, and Costco warehouses. The year also ended on a high note when Apple Pay launched in Germany in December.
Target Giving In
Target and several other major retailers had been previously holding out on allowing Apple Pay. In 2012, Target partnered with several stores including Best Buy and Walmart to create the Merchant Customer Exchange or MCX. This meant they would work together to create mobile payment systems for the individual retailers. Even after JPMorgan Chase bought MCX in 2017, most retailers held onto their own payment apps. These included Target, up until now. Walmart has still not hopped on board the Apple Pay bandwagon.
In a blog post on Tuesday, Target announced the big move. Mike McNamara, the chief information officer at Target, said in the post:
“Offering guests more ways to conveniently and quickly pay is just another way we’re making it easier than ever to shop Target.”
Apple Pay has been available at Target’s online store for quite some time now. However, it did not work for the brick-and-mortar Target stores, until now. Apple confirms it has been testing the move to Target since November 2018. As of now, it is available in all 1,850 Target retail locations all over the USA.
Target has also allowed customers to use Google Pay and Samsung Pay in its stores. However, Target customers who possess the Target REDcard credit or debit card cannot use it with Apple Pay.
Let’s see what the remainder of 2019 will bring for the spread of Apply Pay (and iPhones).
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