Major Retailers that Support NFC Payments

[ecschwarz]

I have no idea, though, if the practice of keeping the NFC readers turned off is the merchants' own decision or if they are simply obeying an order from their payment provider or bank not to accept any contactless payment just yet. Banks in Mexico usually own the terminals and payment systems they supply, so they tend to dictate which forms of payment are to be accepted by their affiliated merchants and which not.

In the US, I think in the case of places like Walmart, Kroger, Home Depot, and until recently Target, the decision was entirely on the merchants. While some places have turned it off to work out bugs or there may be a payment processor decision involved, it seems 9 times out of 10 that it's a merchant being stubborn to push some sort of other product/service. For many of the PIN-pad-style devices that I've seen, everything is generally ready to go out of the box (we've had First Data and Verifone units and processing done through Bank of America and Chase).

I'm wondering if in your experience, the magstripe reader is disabled entirely and as a byproduct, contactless via magstripe emulation also is broken? We've had a lot of instances where some places that newly rolled out contactless will have snags - 3 or the 4 card networks will work fine, but the other will say "insert card" even if you do a contactless read, or just not even act like the card is there (I had this happen with Discover in the past - switch to another card and it immediately reads).

I've heard from a few people about how in other countries, the terminals are mostly owned by the banks - I wonder how that would've changed the process here, since many seem pro-contactless.

 

[lartola]

In the US, I think in the case of places like Walmart, Kroger, Home Depot, and until recently Target, the decision was entirely on the merchants. While some places have turned it off to work out bugs or there may be a payment processor decision involved, it seems 9 times out of 10 that it's a merchant being stubborn to push some sort of other product/service. For many of the PIN-pad-style devices that I've seen, everything is generally ready to go out of the box (we've had First Data and Verifone units and processing done through Bank of America and Chase).

I'm wondering if in your experience, the magstripe reader is disabled entirely and as a byproduct, contactless via magstripe emulation also is broken? We've had a lot of instances where some places that newly rolled out contactless will have snags - 3 or the 4 card networks will work fine, but the other will say "insert card" even if you do a contactless read, or just not even act like the card is there (I had this happen with Discover in the past - switch to another card and it immediately reads).

I've heard from a few people about how in other countries, the terminals are mostly owned by the banks - I wonder how that would've changed the process here, since many seem pro-contactless.

yeah I know about the holdouts in the US such as those you mention. Here in Mexico it's different though. The banks own the terminals, so I think they may be the ones who tell the large merchants to keep the nfc turned off, and conceal from smaller merchants the fact that their standalone POS terminals do accept contactless payment. And I also couldn't help but notice that all the banks that offer mobile wallet apps deliberately conceal the fact that those apps can be used for contactless payment at physical stores, and only promote their use for online purchases. It seems like the banks are subtly trying to prevent the use of NFC technology in the country (even Samsung Pay, which is currently supported by several banks, is most often used via the magnetic stripe readers rather than through nfc).

As for the magstripe readers, my experience is that here in Mexico they're not entirely disabled as opposed to what happens in many European countries: here if a card with a chip on it is swiped rather than inserted, the machine will display a message saying to use the chip reader instead, but if a card with only a magnetic stripe were swiped (which are now very rare) or a phone with Samsung Pay were presented near the magstripe reader, it will still work. I do believe that restriction on chip cards may still have an effect on mag stripe emulation, though, as I have tried to make contactless payments using Apple Pay with Amex and Discover cards a couple of times and they didn't go through, while Apple Pay payments made with my Visa and Mastercard cards go through every single time.

 

[ecschwarz]

Here's a fun one…we have a number of Circle K + another brand gas stations around where I live (in the Midwest) and about 4 months ago, most went to Circle K-only (complete with new signage, canopies, pump decals, etc.) Any newer ones that were Circle K + Shell that had NFC panels immediately started working (awesome). The Circle K + Mobil ones were removed from SpeedPass+ almost immediately, too (made it seem like they weren't going back).

Now today, the one closest to me apparently has Shell decals back on the pumps (appeared overnight) and NFC is on, but declines everything. Has there been some sort of spat with Circle K and the various fuel brands? Either way, I'm annoyed how most Shell stations that have NFC have it disabled/broken, presumably to push Chase Pay.

 

[tmiw]

My local In-N-Out Burger accepts contactless now. The screen shows "insert/tap/swipe" and the contactless logo when they activate the iPP350. I think it's still rolling out because I ended up amazing the cashier when I paid with my phone (since he thought they still didn't accept it).

 

[MisterSavage]

My local In-N-Out Burger accepts contactless now. The screen shows "insert/tap/swipe" and the contactless logo when they activate the iPP350. I think it's still rolling out because I ended up amazing the cashier when I paid with my phone (since he thought they still didn't accept it).

I love it when that happens. Had one lady at a small Thai restaurant tell me more than once they didn't take Apple Pay. Finally I just said "Can I just try?" and it worked.

 

[lartola]

In case anyone here happens to travel to Mexico, it may be worth mentioning that 7-Eleven stores here can accept apple pay just like 7-Eleven stores in the US. The same goes for many other american chains operating in Mexico such as Domino’s Pizza*, Chilis, California Pizza Kitchen, Papa John’s* or Pizza Hut* as well as some Church’s Chicken, KFC and Subway locations.

*Apple Pay accepted in deliveries too, since the courier boys are equipped with wireless POS terminals.

 

[rugmankc]

Just used AP at a gas pump for the first time. An Ameristop in Manheim PA. A search doesn't even show them in PA. Here visiting, so don't know if other locations in Ohio etc take AP. There was no AP logo on pump. Just a wifi logo with one green dot lit. So, thought I would try it. I just double clicked for AP on my S4 when it said insert card. My local BP, Fairborn Oh, is getting brand new pumps. Hope they take AP since they do inside the store. Don't really want to use the bpMe app. But, really want to stop inserting my credit card and risk getting skimmed. Think it happened once to me last year.

 

[lartola]

Just used AP at a gas pump for the first time. An Ameristop in Manheim PA. A search doesn't even show them in PA. Here visiting, so don't know if other locations in Ohio etc take AP. There was no AP logo on pump. Just a wifi logo with one green dot lit. So, thought I would try it. I just double clicked for AP on my S4 when it said insert card. My local BP, Fairborn Oh, is getting brand new pumps. Hope they take AP since they do inside the store. Don't really want to use the bpMe app. But, really want to stop inserting my credit card and risk getting skimmed. Think it happened once to me last year.

I suppose this is the logo you saw on the pump. It is the international symbol for contactless payment, and you can use apple pay anywhere you see it even if there is no apple pay logo next to it. Even if you happen to be traveling in one of the countries where apple pay hasn’t been launched yet (the closest such country to the US would be Mexico) and you see the contactless symbol, Apple Pay will work there too.

 

[rugmankc]

Apple Pay in US doesn’t always work were that symbol is. Wish it did.

 

[gsmornot]

Like Costco gas pumps. They said it’s coming but it’s not ready yet. In the store is fine. The pumps already have the symbols installed.

 

[rugmankc]

Our Speedway pumps have said that for over 2 years.

 

[AZhappyjack]

Apple Pay in US doesn’t always work were that symbol is. Wish it did.

Red Robin has the Ziosk terminals at the tables... and they always say "swipe or tap" but don't work with ApplePay.

Olive Garden, on the other hand, has what appears to be the same Ziosk terminals and ApplePay works there.

 

[rugmankc]

From what I’ve read here outside US doesn’t have our issues with NFC/AP. A local Market here adopted AP early on and just recently stopped allowing it unless you have a Debit Card set up. Won’t take Credit Cards.

 

[lartola]

Apple Pay in US doesn’t always work were that symbol is. Wish it did.

Yeah it’s like in Mexico...some of the terminals have the logo on them but the feature is actually turned off or have no logo but have the feature enabled....
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Like Costco gas pumps. They said it’s coming but it’s not ready yet. In the store is fine. The pumps already have the symbols installed.

But costco in the store only takes Visa. If you set up apple pay with a card issued on a network other than visa, then AP not accepted at Costco, just like the original non-visa card wouldn’t be accepted.

 

[rugmankc]

Exactly. Went to a Turkey Hill today. No logo but took Samsung Pay. Not Apple Pay.

 

[lartola]

From what I’ve read here outside US doesn’t have our issues with NFC/AP. A local Market here adopted AP early on and just recently stopped allowing it unless you have a Debit Card set up. Won’t take Credit Cards.

That’s because in other countries such as Canada, the UK and all EU members contactless payment already existed long before apple pay by means of contactless cards, so when apple pay arrived in those countries most if not all merchants already had NFC enabled. In the US, on the other hand, there were practically no contactless cards and americans only got to know about and use contactless payment when Apple Pay launched, so contactless payment is being rolled out in the US hand in hand with apple pay and many merchants have the terminals but have yet to turn on the NFC contactless readers on them.
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Exactly. Went to a Turkey Hill today. No logo but took Samsung Pay. Not Apple Pay.

Then they don’t have NFC at Turkey Hill and Samsung Pay worked because it must have used the magnetic stripe reader (using Samsung’s own tech called MST). But here in Mexico, as well as in the US, I have found lots of terminals with no contactless logo in plain sight but with NFC enabled and apple pay working fine on them.

 

[rugmankc]

Right. That’s how I understood it. Guess I am moving to Europe. Just which country?

 

[ecschwarz]

Then they don’t have NFC at Turkey Hill and Samsung Pay worked because it must have used the magnetic stripe reader (using Samsung’s own tech called MST). But here in Mexico, as well as in the US, I have found lots of terminals with no contactless logo in plain sight but with NFC enabled and apple pay working fine on them.

Turkey Hill was a Kroger-owned chain (sold in 2018), so I suspect that like Kroger, things were intentionally disabled. If the new owners want to enable it, I'm sure it's possible, but there's probably a lot of other changes happening behind the scenes, so getting NFC turned on is probably a low priority. Plus, some of those big organizational changes happen at a glacial pace.

 

[rugmankc]

I wish Kroger would offer AP. Shop there a lot. If there was an acceptable grocery store that used AP, I would shop there. Think they are going to have, at some point, their App work like Walmart. Contactless but probably with a Q Code reader.

 

[lartola]

I wish Kroger would offer AP. Shop there a lot. If there was an acceptable grocery store that used AP, I would shop there. Think they are going to have, at some point, their App work like Walmart. Contactless but probably with a Q Code reader.

They already did launch an app like Walmart’s, I believe. They call it Kroger Pay.

 

[rugmankc]

They already did launch an app like Walmart’s, I believe. They call it Kroger Pay.

Yes, but not to Dayton Oh till end of year. Not a fan of those apps. But, trying to avoid taking my card out of my wallet any more than necessary.

 

[Böhme417]

Like Costco gas pumps. They said it’s coming but it’s not ready yet. In the store is fine. The pumps already have the symbols installed.

My nearest Costco actually put decals over the readers, covering them entirely. They now just show a picture of inserting a card.

 

[ecschwarz]

Yes, but not to Dayton Oh till end of year. Not a fan of those apps. But, trying to avoid taking my card out of my wallet any more than necessary.

If you're in Dayton, aren't there a few Meijer or Aldi stores in your area at least? Kroger is a bit out of the way for me, so I was going to Meijer and Aldi (and Target) before Apple Pay was a thing, but now I stick with those just to be a little petty about Kroger pushing their QR code nonsense. Also, I love that Meijer has had contactless on their pumps for years across the entire chain (at least that I've seen).

 

[rugmankc]

If you're in Dayton, aren't there a few Meijer or Aldi stores in your area at least? Kroger is a bit out of the way for me, so I was going to Meijer and Aldi (and Target) before Apple Pay was a thing, but now I stick with those just to be a little petty about Kroger pushing their QR code nonsense. Also, I love that Meijer has had contactless on their pumps for years across the entire chain (at least that I've seen).

Not a fan of either. Kroger's is 2 minutes away. Shop occasionally at Dorothy Lane Market. But, 30 minutes away. They are the ones that no longer take Apple Pay using credit instead of debit cards.

 

[Tytygh]

Red Robin has the Ziosk terminals at the tables... and they always say "swipe or tap" but don't work with ApplePay.

Olive Garden, on the other hand, has what appears to be the same Ziosk terminals and ApplePay works there.

If you'll notice, they only have Samsung Pay listed as an option. They're indicating that you can tap to pay with Samsung Pay using MST, but not NFC. Hence why the contactless logo doesn't appear in the swipe/insert/tap terminal animation as it does at Chili's and Olive Garden.