I'm pretty sure Apple has something built into their deals with retailers requiring that their contactless terminals work 99.xxxx% of the time (barring problems with the network or terminal issues that would affect EMV/swipe as well). I would be incredibly surprised if they didn't, considering they're all about the user experience and all.

Has anyone tried LoopPay?

http://www.looppay.com/

Appearently it generates magnetic field to trick card reader that a card was swiped.

No, but that's another device that is going to become pretty useless in a year or two. It is pretty technologically nifty though.

I preordered the fob and I've been using it nonstop for a couple of months. It doesn't work at gas stations and I don't use it at most restaurants because it would be too awkward for me to walk up to the cash register.

I wouldn't recommend anyone buy it though, because you obviously can't use it at EMV enabled terminals. You could use it for gift cards though.

I found out yesterday how McDonalds' drive-through contactless implementation will work. It's a joke. As far as they're concerned, it is already done here. The giant, bulky Verifone readers in the drive through are apparently set up so they can be lifted down and held out the window for you to pay with contactless.

What a joke... if you're going to pass a terminal out a window (common in other countries), get terminals made for that at least!

I know right and I think they have actually set it up at my local McD's, but I'd say they should do something like this Wendy's:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...324_134945.jpg

ps I hope the image isn't too big, if it is sorry.

Apple Pay: too complicated for the real world?

Basically he thinks one shouldn't have to need a fingerprint to make purchases. He forgets that the US is incredibly paranoid about the whole NFC thing and thus it's actually needed here in order to get any use at all outside of the tech geeks.

Thinking about it more though, I'm inclined to believe that the US is mostly going to skip contact EMV and go directly to contactless. Sure, there's still going to be a card slot while Apple Pay/Google Wallet ramp up, but it'll eventually get little use except as a backup in case one's phone isn't working.

Your mileage will vary greatly with all NFC readers, but I rarely have had problems at McDonalds in the US, even back in the early 2000's when RFID started. The hardest part is communicating that you want to use NFC at the drive through since AFAIK McDonalds does not have external card readers at drive thrus.

This is the cheapest way to get this launched when Apple pay launches. The bay area Jack in the Boxes used to have external readers, but I don't see this anymore (nor do I see contact less inside).

I'm hopeful, but realistically, as the switch from mag-stripes to EMV or heck, even check writing vs debit card usage, old habits die hard. Younger generations are more keen to adapt to new technologies, but older generations still may prefer to do things the "old fashioned" way.

And statistically, there are a lot of older generation (our mom and dads, or our grandparents) in the US today.

Some what related, probably see an Apple Pay feature into this as something similar is being done abroad, but it seems UTA has now started beta-testing distance based fares on local buses for BYU (Brigham Young University) students and faculty members.

http://news.byu.edu/archive14-sep-newfare.aspx
http://www.rideuta.com/mc/?page=UTA-Home-BYUBeta



I'm not an expert in mass transit, but I think this is the first time tap-in/tap-out distance based fares are being applied to US transit buses.

If it works, I can see this being a huge game changer in mass transit payment where fares can be charged cheaply by the mile instead of flat rate, especially as Apple Pay becomes popular and Apple Watch is just over the horizon.

Not exactly the same thing, but Sound Transit in the Seattle-area region has tap-on/tap-off for their commuter and light-rail train service; the maximum fare is initially deducted, with money re-credited if necessary for shorter trips.

Tap-on/tap-off on rail services aren't that new, even in the US. It's being used on BART and Caltrain in Bay Area as well as the DC Metro in Washington DC. There's probably others that I can't think of at this moment. Doing tap-on/tap-off on rail is "relatively" easy because you have a station and you go through a validator or a gate as you tap-in and tap-out.

It's a lot more difficult to do onboard buses. There are no gates. People have to be reminded to tap-off. And there are fare cheating issues to think of (trying to "tap-off" early on, when you're not actually getting off the bus to save a few pennies). There are countries abroad that have been running under this system on buses for over a decade (Singapore, Japan, Korea, The Netherlands, etc.), but not here in the US.

Hence, I specifically mentioned "first time tap-in/tap-out distance based fares are being applied to US transit buses."

If this is possible with buses, then imagine what can be done with ride sharing services like Uber and Lyft? One can theoretically fire up an Uber or Lyft app, get on a car, tap-in their phone or smartwatch, reach destination, tap-out their phone or smartwatch, and the "fare" automatically deducted by the mile traveled from Apple Pay. Add that with Google driverless technology which I'm certain Uber and Lyft will likely adopt when that technology is perfected. It will revolutionize the way people get around and pay for travel.

Don't Uber and Lyft already charge by distance? And why would you need to tap anything for Uber and Lyft? Your card is already saved in the app and charged automatically at the conclusion of your ride.

I think you'll be happy to know that Uber has already committed to supporting the in app version of Apple Pay when it comes out next month. That means if you have Apple Pay, you just download the Uber app and hit "ride now". There's no sign up process and your Apple Pay card is charged automatically at the conclusion of the ride with no NFC involved.

Here's the list of apps.

Yes, they do and you're correct. But I think in the end, Uber and Lyft will also end up adopting a tap-in/tap-out, if not concurrently with the current smartphone app.

Currently, Uber and Lyft is waging a massive price war against each other, slashing prices, upping the ante, grabbing venture capital, etc. Possibly more rivals may appear as well as they start to see the lucrative business of this.

And as that happens, much like the cell phone era of the past, sooner or later, these guys will be fighting each other on who has the "lowest rates" and "nationwide coverage." As time progresses, they'll start finding ways to cutting back on costs (replacing human drivers with driverless technology, start using better MPG vehicles, perhaps even starting a van/bus route so more passengers can ride them along a particular route and cost spread out over multiple people, etc.) to see which one can achieve lower prices than the other guy.

And then, they'll go after market share. Both Uber and Lyft has made strong comments that they want to replace public transit. I think it's a far shot (heck, taxi cabs and limo companies are going nuts against them for "stealing their business"), but if they mean what they say, then that means eventually, they'll need to expand out to other markets like the elderly or the poor who are highly reliant on public transit. But the caveat is that the elderly and the poor are not likely to have smartphones let alone credit or debit cards. If there is a large market who relies on public transit that do not use smartphones or credit cards, but if Uber and Lyft wants to tap into that market, how will they collect "fares" from them?

My guess is that eventually, Uber, Lyft and other rivals will start issuing Uber and Lyft cards (like Starbucks), that one can load up and use it for tap-in/tap-out.