Delivery.com removes Apple Pay as payment option for laundry services

AppleInsider

Popular on-demand delivery services platform delivery.com on Friday notified users that it no longer accepts Apple Pay for laundry orders, saying the payment option was removed for problems outside the company's control.

As seen in the screenshot above, delivery.com is sending out email notifications about the policy shift to customers who previously used Apple Pay to pay for a laundry order within the last few months. The firm has accepted Apple Pay for laundry orders for at least two years.

"With this payment method we were not able to ensure the level of service that we strive towards here at delivery.com and have removed it due to problems outside of our control," the letter reads.

To make up for the updated terms, the company is offering users a $10 voucher to put toward their next laundry order.

Interestingly, the firm points out that other services, such as food and beverage delivery, are unaffected by the change. The modified conditions suggest a facet in delivery.com's laundry order procedure is incompatible with Apple Pay's processing backend.

Customers who use delivery.com's laundry service must provide weight estimates for clothes or other goods they want cleaned. Called "wash and fold," the service includes pickup, cleaning and re-delivery.

Wash orders are usually picked up within a business day, then weighed at the cleaning facility. If a weight discrepancy between the customer's per pound estimate and the retailer's confirmation is discovered, the price is adjusted and the proper amount is charged to a user's account.

While speculation, the estimate-based order system might have caused problems with Apple Pay processing. Apple's payments backend allows for some flexibility when it comes to adjusting transaction amounts, restaurant tips and gas pump charges being two examples. Frequently adjusted amounts from a single retailer, however, might raise red flags.

Considering delivery.com laundry orders are based on store confirmation of customer estimates, modifications of transaction amounts initially approved in-app are likely a common occurrence. The process of constantly approving and re-approving charges might have delayed Apple Pay payouts, which would affect order turnaround.

AppleInsider has reached out to delivery.com for comment and will update this article when a response is received.

Soli

1) Based on the email statement I couldn't figure out why they would signal out Apple Pay for a single service. Thanks for the educated guess as to why that might be an issue for frequently adjusted service.

2) I use the Starbucks app and I reload my account using Apple Pay on my iPhone. They could allow those who use the service frequently to reload an account in a similar fashion to regain the convenience of the Apple Pay support.

lkrupp

Soli said:

1) Based on the email statement I couldn't figure out why they would signal out Apple Pay for a single service. Thanks for the educated guess as to why that might be an issue for frequently adjusted service.

2) I use the Starbucks app and I reload my account using Apple Pay on my iPhone. They could allow those who use the service frequently to reload an account in a similar fashion to regain the convenience of the Apple Pay support.

1) I’m thinking that Apple Pay, like Xerox has for copying, has become a catchall for NFC. 

boxcatcher

Soli said:

2) I use the Starbucks app and I reload my account using Apple Pay on my iPhone. They could allow those who use the service frequently to reload an account in a similar fashion to regain the convenience of the Apple Pay support.

Agreed -- this just sounds like Delivery.com is lacking in the operations department.

randominternetperson

I always wondered how much flexibility merchants had in adjusting payment amounts post hoc.  I paid for a conference once on site and they gave me the member discount. When my credit card statement arrived the charge was hundreds of dollars more because (as I learned when I called) they decided I wasn't eligible for the discount. Before then I wouldn't have thought that was possible. 

I expect that your speculation is spot on that there are limits on how much a vendor can do this without having to justify it. Good for Apple for being more stringent than others. I expect there are plenty of unscrupulous businesses routinely padding their credit card changes since so few people would ever notice. 

SpamSandwich

Never heard of them.

slurpy

Who?

randominternetperson

Apropos of nothing, I used ApplePay to support an Indigogo project the other day.  OMG, it was so simple it was also too frictionless.  It was literally one click on the ApplePay button and placing my finger on the TouchID.  The same checkout process via Kickstarter (without ApplePay, but with my browser filling in the credit card info) takes maybe 30 seconds.  You wouldn't think there would be much difference between 30 seconds and 5 seconds, but wow.

ignomini

Ahh, the Applepay conundrum. Plenty of banks support the product, but so few retailers as to make it almost useless. I like Applepay, but where I live in CA there are only a few retailers who support it. Albertson's just dropped it, although they claim it will be back in June (I won't hold my breath). Store clerks are always amazed at how fast and simple it is, which tells me they have rarely seen it used, and don't themselves. There comes a point where it's supported in so few places, one stops bothering to try.

jbdragon

ignomini said:

Ahh, the Applepay conundrum. Plenty of banks support the product, but so few retailers as to make it almost useless. I like Applepay, but where I live in CA there are only a few retailers who support it. Albertson's just dropped it, although they claim it will be back in June (I won't hold my breath). Store clerks are always amazed at how fast and simple it is, which tells me they have rarely seen it used, and don't themselves. There comes a point where it's supported in so few places, one stops bothering to try.

I'm in CA and lots of places accept it. Don't just look for Apple Pay, look for the Wifi Symbol. I use it at Raley's, Best Buy, Macy's, Mountain Mikes Pizza, Food 4 Less, and on and on. Though I'm still waiting for Home Depot which said they were bringing it back long ago and still hasn't. Support keeps growing. Maybe not as fast as people would like. If you don't use it, it may go away so I use it as much as I can. I'm trying it all the time to see if it works. It took YEARS for Credit card terminals to be everywhere. I still remember credit card rollers being used at my last job when I first starting working there in the 90's. It was never going to be everywhere overnight. Even now, I still don't have a chip in my Banks Debit card. Which is probably a good thing as the chips are so slow. This transition alone is taking forever.

volcan

jbdragon said:

Food 4 Less, and on and on. 

Interesting that Food 4 Less accepts Apple Pay when Ralph's also owned by Kroger does not accept it. There are two grocery stores near me that accept it, Stater Bros. and Sprouts. I like Ralph's selection better, but no Apple Pay.