Walgreens memo suggests Apple Pay mobile payments with iPhone 6 could launch Saturday, Oct. 18

Posted:
in iPhone edited October 2014
The largest pharmacy chain in the U.S., Walgreens, has allegedly sent out an internal corporate memo asking employees to prepare for the launch of the iPhone 6-based Apple Pay service next Saturday, Oct. 18.


Photo via MacRumors.


The letter allegedly sent to Walgreens store managers, published by MacRumors, simply refers to "the launch of Apple Pay on October 18." It does not indicate whether Apple plans to launch its payment service across the U.S. on that same day, or if Walgreens itself is planning a coordinated rollout for that Saturday.

Two days prior to that, Apple is set to hold a keynote presentation where it is expected to unveil its next-generation iPads and potentially other new hardware. It's also expected that the company will shed more light on the release of iOS 8.1, which is expected to enable Apple Pay functionality for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

The purported Walgreens memo notes to store managers that Apple Pay is "easy, secure and ensures their privacy." It also states that customers will "only need to tap their iPhone 6 to the upper portion of the pinpad to pay for their purchase."




Walgreens is a significant partner for Apple, as it is the largest drug retailing chain in the U.S. The company operates more than 8,000 stores in all 50 states.

Stores like Walgreens and others will be able to support Apple Pay easily, as Apple's payment system relies on established near-field communications technology that is already widely adopted for other mobile payment services. Apple Pay, however, brings the iPhone 6 Touch ID fingerprint scanner into the fold, improving security for authorizing transactions.

For its part, Apple has pledged to launch Apple Pay in the month of October, but did not give a specific launch date. The near-field communications technology required to allow Apple Pay is only found in the company's latest iPhone 6 models released in September.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 83
    boredumbboredumb Posts: 1,418member

    So, do some NFC equipment standards require contact?

    It seemed from the keynote they didn't...this seems 'nearer than near'.

  • Reply 3 of 83
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    That was fast! No doubt other stores will soon follow. I'm going to feel left out, I can't see me getting a six any time soon and no ?Watch yet ...
  • Reply 4 of 83
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    dcj001 wrote: »
    What about the 6 Plus?

    No, didn't you hear they need larger NCF units for the plus ... ;)
  • Reply 5 of 83
    sirlance99sirlance99 Posts: 1,293member
    That was fast! No doubt other stores will soon follow. I'm going to feel left out, I can't see me getting a six any time soon and no ?Watch yet ...

    Fast? It's been set up for over a year.
  • Reply 6 of 83
    boredumbboredumb Posts: 1,418member
    Quote:


    October 18 plus...

    isn't it obvious???   ;)

  • Reply 7 of 83

    How will you get a refund if tokens are one-time only?

  • Reply 8 of 83
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DCJ001 View Post

     

    What about the 6 Plus?


     

     

    Seriously? Your joke wasn't  THAT funny. 

  • Reply 9 of 83
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    boredumb wrote: »
    So, do some NFC equipment standards require contact?It seemed from the keynote they didn't...this seems 'nearer than near'.

    The magnetic loop is very short range (just a few inches) so tapping the NFC-capable device will be fairly common but you don't have to get that close.

    How will you get a refund if tokens are one-time only?

    Any token system's point is to connect to connect securely to the same backend so if you don't need the exact same token to do a refund. That said, it didn't sound like it was a one-time-use system, but a representational number and PIN (token) per card per device. Now if it is a per transaction system all the financial institution would have to do is have a way of generating new variable PIN for each new transaction. This could be as simple as some randomized equation added for each card for device that both the bank and ?Pay's secure element stores so that after each successful transaction they jump to the next value, or something more complex. My guess is it's more like iCloud's new per app password option.
  • Reply 10 of 83
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by boredumb View Post

     

    So, do some NFC equipment standards require contact?

    It seemed from the keynote they didn't...this seems 'nearer than near'.




    They are the old models.

  • Reply 11 of 83
    bdkennedy1bdkennedy1 Posts: 1,459member

    Pending disastrous launch in 7 days.

  • Reply 12 of 83
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    bdkennedy1 wrote: »
    Pending disastrous launch in 7 days.

    Could you explain in detail how and why you think it will be disastrous?
  • Reply 13 of 83
    How will you get a refund if tokens are one-time only?

    It would be the same, instead the merchant will post a credit against your account. I believe a refund does not negate the original transaction, but posts a credit, which effectively zero's out if refund is for all items. If refund is for one item out of many then it gives credit for that one item and any tax associated with that item.
  • Reply 14 of 83
    solipsismx wrote: »
    Could you explain in detail how and why you think it will be disastrous?
    Considering Apple's recent iOS8 bungles & the U2 album fiacso that's probably what he's referring to.
  • Reply 15 of 83
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    lundkeman wrote: »
    It would be the same, instead the merchant will post a credit against your account. I believe a refund does not negate the original transaction, but posts a credit, which effectively zero's out if refund is for all items. If refund is for one item out of many then it gives credit for that one item and any tax associated with that item.

    I think there are at least two types of transactions. The one you describe where it's a manual cancelation of all or part of a completed charge by the company paying the customer. There is also one, like at a restaurant or gas station, where you have an initial purchase verification and then you adjust for changes later, like adding a tip or adjusting for actual fuel purchased (which includes canceling a purchase while it's pending).

    Considering Apple's recent iOS8 bungles & the U2 album fiacso that's probably what he's referring to.

    1) So we're talking about a very short-term issue with some bugs in iOS 8?

    2) I don't know how the U2 album works into this.
  • Reply 16 of 83
    Originally Posted by Lord Amhran View Post

    Considering Apple's recent iOS8 bungles & the U2 album fiacso that's probably what he's referring to.



    So, absolutely no disaster in any way, shape, or form. Got it.

  • Reply 17 of 83
    solipsismx wrote: »
    Could you explain in detail how and why you think it will be disastrous?

    Samsung will hire a top hacker team, give them 10 million in an effort to cause havoc.
  • Reply 18 of 83
    Considering Apple's recent iOS8 bungles & the U2 album fiacso that's probably what he's referring to.

    What U2 fiasco? Some spoiled brats complaining about free music? Heck, the album was actually pretty decent. Just because people whine doesn't make it a fiasco.

    And bungles? They found the issue within a few hours and had a fix out the next day. How many Android phones are broken in an update and NEVER see a fix? (Hint: a lot).
  • Reply 19 of 83
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Samsung will hire a top hacker team, give them 10 million in an effort to cause havoc.

    But there is no centralization here. Once your iPhone 6 series is updated and your cards added the transactions will all go through each merchant and to the bank like you'd swipe a magnetic swipe through a card reader. It's not like they can bring down iCloud to prevent any transactions from going through.
  • Reply 20 of 83
    sirlance99sirlance99 Posts: 1,293member
    Considering Apple's recent iOS8 bungles & the U2 album fiacso that's probably what he's referring to.

    Will there be a few minor hurdles. Yes. Disastrous. Not so much.
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