Drug stores drop Apple Pay and Google Wallet to push their own payment tech

Drug stores drop Apple Pay and Google Wallet to push their own payment tech

Jon Fingas

Engadget 

If you're bent on using Apple Pay or Google Wallet for your shopping, you may have to be finicky about your choice of drug stores. Both CVS and Rite Aid have shut off their support for NFC-based payments just days after Apple Pay went live. Try to tap your phone and you'll get an error, or nothing at all. The companies haven't publicly discussed why they're cutting off the handy feature, but this is ultimately an attempt to stifle competition. Both pharmacies are part of the Merchant Customer Exchange, a retailer group releasing its own mobile wallet system (CurrentC) in 2015; as a memo obtained by SlashGearsuggests, they'd rather deny all NFC payments than risk building support for rivals. Suffice it to say that this will be very inconvenient if you're a frequent customer, and you'll currently have to visit the likes of Duane Reade and Walgreens if you want to avoid paying with old-fashioned cash or plastic.
[Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]
Source: MacRumors, SlashGear