Here is my previous post on the data coming out of Black Friday (the news wasn't good for Apple Pay):
http://thagent.blogspot.com/2014/12/black-friday-news-apple-pay-google-and.html
This is the story that finally pushed me to put out another blog entry on the subject:
http://appadvice.com/appnn/2014/12/my-apple-pay-experience-at-bloomingdales-left-me-feeling-ugg
I'd like to quote one portion of that piece I find to be extremely interesting:
Last week, a MacRumors forum member said that a recent McDonald’s visit ended in disaster because employees didn’t know how to use Apple Pay. My experience at Bloomingdale’s, though different, lead me to the same conclusion. Retailers aren’t training their employees on how to use Apple Pay.
The pin pad message that I saw on Saturday clearly suggests that Bloomingdale’s is about to begin accepting Apple Pay, at least at [this] location. Unfortunately, it’s also clear that when the service does go online, sales associates may have little clue on how to use it.
For Apple Pay to succeed, Cupertino needs to do a lot more than sign up new banks and retailers. They also need to make sure that these partners train their staff on how to use it. Otherwise, one bad experience may convince a user to never try the service again.
The sales associates at retail stores might need training on a completely new payment method? Wow. I think the author is on to something.
Finally is one more write-up from the folks at PYMTS.com:
http://www.pymnts.com/news/2014/why-apple-pay-is-fizzling/#.VIXDwNLF_9Y
Here is a snippet from that piece:
I've stated previously this move by Apple seems much more targeted towards the Asian phone market than towards payments in the United States. If you are an Apple executive you better hope that was the thinking. It could be many years before Apple Pay becomes a force, if at all, and that will give the banks and the retailers a whole lot of breathing room to get their own products to market.
Happy Reading,
J.W. Gant
The pin pad message that I saw on Saturday clearly suggests that Bloomingdale’s is about to begin accepting Apple Pay, at least at [this] location. Unfortunately, it’s also clear that when the service does go online, sales associates may have little clue on how to use it.
For Apple Pay to succeed, Cupertino needs to do a lot more than sign up new banks and retailers. They also need to make sure that these partners train their staff on how to use it. Otherwise, one bad experience may convince a user to never try the service again.
The sales associates at retail stores might need training on a completely new payment method? Wow. I think the author is on to something.
Finally is one more write-up from the folks at PYMTS.com:
http://www.pymnts.com/news/2014/why-apple-pay-is-fizzling/#.VIXDwNLF_9Y
Here is a snippet from that piece:
Unless a large proportion of [iPhone 6] users are evangelizing Apple Pay, asking about whether they could use it, and putting pressure on merchants to accept it or else lose their business, merchants have very little incentive to make any effort to accept it.
And effort is needed—they need to educate their cashiers and most importantly install NFC terminals if they don’t have them. As it turns out a small fraction of a small fraction of customers are using Apple Pay at merchant locations that take Apple Pay. There is just no evidence that there is a groundswell of consumers demanding that other merchants take Apple Pay, or that merchants risk losing sales [if] they don’t take it.
And effort is needed—they need to educate their cashiers and most importantly install NFC terminals if they don’t have them. As it turns out a small fraction of a small fraction of customers are using Apple Pay at merchant locations that take Apple Pay. There is just no evidence that there is a groundswell of consumers demanding that other merchants take Apple Pay, or that merchants risk losing sales [if] they don’t take it.
I've stated previously this move by Apple seems much more targeted towards the Asian phone market than towards payments in the United States. If you are an Apple executive you better hope that was the thinking. It could be many years before Apple Pay becomes a force, if at all, and that will give the banks and the retailers a whole lot of breathing room to get their own products to market.
Happy Reading,
J.W. Gant
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