Home Depot announces future Apple Pay support, will become largest partner retailer
Home Depot on Tuesday officially announced upcoming support for Apple Pay, and with more than 2,000 stores will be the largest retail chain to sign on to Apple's branded NFC-based mobile payments initiative.
Speaking on behalf of the home improvement retailer, company representative Steve Holmes told Bloomberg that his company plans to introduce in-store support for Apple Pay, but declined to specify an exact rollout timetable.
Today's announcement comes hours after media outlets relayed customer complaints of recent changes to Home Depot's NFC payments protocol. The retailer's point-of-sale terminals officially accept PayPal mobile, but iPhone 6 owners reported that many locations have been processing Apple Pay purchases since the service launched in October.
Within the past week, however, customers who normally use Apple Pay at their local Home Depot discovered the chain abruptly reversal of policy. AppleInsider received word from one customer who reached out to Home Depot via email regarding the apparent change. In response, the retailer said it is "evaluating a number of new payment methods, including a number of mobile payments but have not made any permanent decisions and we cannot confirm whether these technologies are fully supported at this time."
Many NFC-equipped POS terminals compatible with mobile payment platforms like Google Wallet can also accept Apple Pay transactions. The decision to include support comes down to store owners, who must work on the backend with card processing companies and credit card networks.
Compatibility aside, some companies proactively opt out of Apple Pay, a high-profile example being partners of the Merchant Customer Exchange. As MCX is primed to introduce a mobile payments competitor in CurrentC, merchant members like Walmart, CVS, Rite Aid, The Gap and more are forbidden from running Apple Pay transactions. Most recently, however, Best Buy confirmed a start to in-app Apple Pay transactions, with in-store support coming later this year.
Speaking on behalf of the home improvement retailer, company representative Steve Holmes told Bloomberg that his company plans to introduce in-store support for Apple Pay, but declined to specify an exact rollout timetable.
Today's announcement comes hours after media outlets relayed customer complaints of recent changes to Home Depot's NFC payments protocol. The retailer's point-of-sale terminals officially accept PayPal mobile, but iPhone 6 owners reported that many locations have been processing Apple Pay purchases since the service launched in October.
Within the past week, however, customers who normally use Apple Pay at their local Home Depot discovered the chain abruptly reversal of policy. AppleInsider received word from one customer who reached out to Home Depot via email regarding the apparent change. In response, the retailer said it is "evaluating a number of new payment methods, including a number of mobile payments but have not made any permanent decisions and we cannot confirm whether these technologies are fully supported at this time."
Many NFC-equipped POS terminals compatible with mobile payment platforms like Google Wallet can also accept Apple Pay transactions. The decision to include support comes down to store owners, who must work on the backend with card processing companies and credit card networks.
Compatibility aside, some companies proactively opt out of Apple Pay, a high-profile example being partners of the Merchant Customer Exchange. As MCX is primed to introduce a mobile payments competitor in CurrentC, merchant members like Walmart, CVS, Rite Aid, The Gap and more are forbidden from running Apple Pay transactions. Most recently, however, Best Buy confirmed a start to in-app Apple Pay transactions, with in-store support coming later this year.
Comments
Today's announcement comes after customers complained of changes to Home Depot's NFC payments protocol that blocked Apple Pay at certain outlets. The store's point of sale terminals accept PayPal, but iPhone owners reported that many locations unofficially processed Apple Pay transactions since the service launched in October.
I did use ?Pay at Home Depot when it first came out so I thought it was official. Yesterday it did not work though.
I believe HD was the first place I payed with Apple Pay, last year some time? Is this really news?
Did you even read the article? Apparently you're one of those "read the headline and comment" people. I'll help you out though... HD was unofficially accepting Apple Pay at most locations since Apple Pay launched. Recently it stopped working for most. HD support said they were evaluating mobile payments. HD spokesperson announced they will officially be accepting Apple Pay sometime this year online and in store. Wasn't really that difficult to just read before commenting :-p
But, macrumors posted this trash headline just today:
"Home Depot Quietly Drops Apple Pay, But Service Continues to Work at Many Stores"
Amazing how Apple centered sites love to giddily post negative headlines without a shred of fucking confirmation. Why did they "quietly drop it"? Because a couple posters complained it didnt work? Or cause the systems were being upgraded? What shit journalism.
As many security breaches as they've had, they should be all over this ASAP.
As many security breaches as they've had, they should be all over this ASAP.
First thought I had! I've had a card I use there replaced TWICE in the past year... though it might have been ACME another store who's been breached recently.
Dear customers,
We're sorry Apple Pay worked in the past, and we are committed to decreasing your payment options. Thank you choosing The Home Depot!
But, macrumors posted this trash headline just today:
"Home Depot Quietly Drops Apple Pay, But Service Continues to Work at Many Stores"
Amazing how Apple centered sites love to giddily post negative headlines without a shred of fucking confirmation. Why did they "quietly drop it"? Because a couple posters complained it didnt work? Or cause the systems were being upgraded? What shit journalism.
I just checked the MacRumors story since I had not read it (I had read the 9To5Mac story). Both stories actually mention the Home Depot response, "We currently do not accept Apple Pay in our local stores or online. We do have the option of using PayPal, in store or online. We may offer this feature in the future, but we currently do not have a time frame for this and if we are going to accept Apple Pay. We truly apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused you Andrew."
The Home Depot systems could have been in the process of being upgraded to support Apple Pay as Home Depot is stating. Since their systems had already been accepting Apple Pay before being dropped, I am a just bit doubtful a systems upgrade is the true reason for the drop.
It will be interesting to see when Home Depot and other hold outs begin to support Apple Pay. Why is nobody complaining they cannot use Google Wallet at Home Depot?
What the?? The opposite is true.
If the location already has NFC capable terminals that are activated - the only time the store has to meddle with the backend is to block transactions.
You don't include support, you have to remove support.
Too much of this ApplePay business in the USA reads like the articles back when the iPhone3G was released and it was positioned as Apple forcing some new communications method they invented on American telcos.
I believe HD was the first place I payed with Apple Pay, last year some time? Is this really news?
I did also!!! But a few days ago it stopped working for me. I tried it, it seemed to work and then the terminal and every just froze. i was in the self checkout and I think the person said something about a scripting error?!?! So I went to a different self check out station and tried again and the same thing happened. They got it reset and I had to swipe my card.
Have you been to home Depot in the last few days and tried it?
Who uses Google Wallet? NFC was dying for lack of use. Though it's picked up because of Apple Pay. Home Depot was working for me just fine with Apple Pay since Apple Pay started and I'm at Home Depot ALL THE TIME!!! A few days ago it didn't work anymore.