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Rite Aid used facial recognition in hundreds of stores for years
The system was often used in lower-income, non-white areas, according to Reuters.
Rite Aid to start accepting Apple Pay and other mobile payments
Nearly a year after shutting off support for Apple Pay and other NFC-based payments, Rite Aid has announced that will be changing soon. On August 15th, the drug store is set to begin accepting mobile checkouts at around 4,600 locations across the US. This includes Apple Pay, Google Wallet and, in the future, Android Pay. Last year, Rite Aid along with CVS pulled support for these type of payment solutions due to contractual ties with the Merchant Customer Exchange, a retailer group that has its own wallet system called CurrentC -- though it relies on QR codes, which is arguably an outdated method in 2015. Now there's an excuse to pull out your Apple Watch the next time you're at Rite Aid, buying shampoo or whatever it is you get there.
Apple responds to the Rite Aid, CVS debacle in a very 'Apple' way
Apple is a company of actions, not words. Even when Tim Cook takes the stage to talk about how great his company is, it's always about the here and now, not empty promises about the future. Apple's official response regarding the refusal of Rite Aid and CVS to support Apple Pay -- the company's newly launched NFC payment system -- is deliciously "Apple" in that very same way. Provided to Business Insider, the statement reads: The feedback we are getting from customers and retailers about Apple Pay is overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic. We are working to get as many merchants as possible to support this convenient, secure and private payment option for consumers. Many retailers have already seen the benefits and are delighting their customers at over 220,000 locations. In case you're having some trouble reading between the lines, let me translate that for you: Dear Rite Aid/CVS, People are already in love with Apple Pay and it doesn't matter if you don't like it. CurrentC is a disaster -- no, seriously, it has a 1-star rating with over 1,200 reviews -- and the only ones you're hurting by refusing to support our payment system is your own customers. Oh, and Walgreens already accepts Apple Pay, so you can either fall in line or make a nice little shanty over there on the wrong side of tech history. Love, Apple
Report: Rite Aid disables Apple Pay support
Rite Aid has reportedly disabled support for Apple Pay according to a report published today in MacRumors. Though the NFC terminals at Rite Aid stores are technically compatible with Apple Pay, it appears that steps are being taken to specifically prevent what would be otherwise valid transactions. Naturally, some Apple Pay users are frustrated at this surprising turn of events given that Apple Pay transactions worked well at Rite Aid earlier in the week. Josh Hudnall is one such user who recounted his failed attempt to use Apple Pay at Rite Aid. Today, Allison asked me to pick up a few things on my way home from the office, and I'm a major nerd, so naturally I was all too happy to oblige. I was equally disappointed, then, when my transaction was declined with a message on the terminal informing me that Apple Pay was not supported. The terminal mentioned Apple Pay by name. So the system is smart enough to know about Apple Pay and to decide not to take it. What's more, Hudnall relays that the cashier informed him that the store had received an email earlier that day indicating that they will not be supporting Apple Pay. So what's going on here? Some old fashioned and completely misguided competition, that's what. You see, Rite Aid is part of a consortium of retailers who are throwing their support behind an upcoming mobile payments platform called CurrentC which was developed by a company called Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX). MCX's goal is to be a universal mobile payment platform and enjoys support from a number of top tier retailers, including Walmart, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Sears, CVS, 7-Eleven, GAP, Wendys and more. So if you've been wondering why some retailers haven't been quick to support Apple Pay, look no further than MCX. Now you might be wondering: "Why can't retailers support both mobile payment platforms and let consumers decide with their wallets?" As it turns out, MCX's policy is such that its members cannot accept payment from other mobile wallets. Notably, CurrentC doesn't operate via NFC. As a result, retailers on the CurrentC bandwagon can prevent Apple Pay transactions simply by turning off NFC functionality on otherwise modern POS machines. As a final point, it's also worth noting that CurrentC isn't even scheduled to go live until 2015.
PSN cards expanding to Blockbuster, 7-Eleven and Rite-Aid in September
The only time we ever saw a PLAYSTATION Network card was when Sony gave us one for Christmas. Never -- not even once -- have we seen these cards available at a retail store. This is easily one of the most demanded items from our readers, many who don't have a credit card to use for the PSN. Thankfully, support for these cards will expand in September to stores we've actually heard of.According to the PlayStation website, these pre-paid cards can be found at Blockbuster, 7-Eleven and Rite-Aid this September. So whether you're renting a movie, drinking a Slurpee, or buying some condoms in a rush -- keep an eye out for these PSN cards.[Via CAG]
Shopping list: Milk, bread, MMO game time cards...
Let's face it, getting time cards for your favorite game is a necessity. It's up there with the milk, bread, and eggs that you need for your daily survival. We have enough stories about MMO withdrawal to fill a shopping cart, so why not sell our addiction where we can easily grab it? NCsoft got the message and is pushing their time cards out to the masses by partnering up with Target, Rite Aid, and Best Buy. Now you too can literally walk down the street to the drug store and pick up your favorite addiction -- more play time. More importantly, if you're a subscriber to City of Heroes/Villains, grab yourself a time card because it will unlock an in-game jet pack for you to use. The approach isn't anything new, as Nexon has already been providing their cash cards to customers of 7-Eleven convenience stores for some time now. What all of this does show is a marketing push by more game companies to get their cards into the mainstream market of consumer products. Lastly, as a friendly reminder, when you're running out to get those "essentials" at Rite-Aid or Target before that "big storm" hits, remember your desktop computer doesn't work when the power is out.
