Crazy Consumer Electronics World: There's an expiration date on retailers blocking Apple Pay

2014年11月4日星期二

There's an expiration date on retailers blocking Apple Pay

Although it's not an original idea, Apple Pay has the potential to change the retail landscape permanently.

It's disheartening, then, that numerous retailers, from CVS to Walmart, are refusing to support Apple Pay at check-out points.

The reason? They're working on their own mobile payment method, CurrentC, as part of a consortium of retailers called the Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX).

But - and here's the good news - it turns out the Apple Pay ban is temporary, MCX CEO Dekkers Davidson told Re/code.

"Months, not years"

Davidson said MCX isn't afraid of competition, but that CurrentC simply needs "breathing room" to have a fighting chance.

And the "exclusivity rule" that MCX has imposed on its member retailers will expire in "months, not years," likely after CurrentC launches in the first half of 2015.

Temporarily blocking competitors to give your own tech a head start - especially when CurrentC is still months away from actually launching - is definitely shady, but it's better than a permanent ban on rivals.