Apple has signed up a clutch of new banks and financial services for its mobile payment system Apple Pay, giving the company potential coverage of around 90 percent of credit card purchases by volume in the US. Alongside new support from "dozens" of retail stores and banks (including Commerce Bank, TD Bank, Barclaycard, and SunTrust), The New York Times reports that Apple Pay will also be accepted at the Amway Center stadium, home of the Orlando Magic basketball team.
Apple Pay will be at the core of US consumerism: selling hot dogs and soda
While a small deal like Amway might be a neat way way to showcase Apple Pay's speed and ease-of-use (perhaps making some mobile payment converts at half-time) it doesn't address one of the system's biggest gaps: support for most of the country's smaller banks and credit unions and their debit cards.
However, while reviewers have praised the "fast and seamless" action of Apple Pay, the biggest opposition to the service is coming from retailers. A number of large retailers — including Walmart, 7-Eleven, and Best Buy — are currently readying a rival system called CurrentC, which is expected to launch next year despite criticisms over usability and security. America's largest chain stores may be against Apple at the moment, but the company is pushing on regardless."
Update, 2:39PM, December 16th, 2014: An earlier version of this article stated that Apple Pay does not support debit cards, which isn't entirely true. Apple Pay does have support for debit cards from banks that are partners in the Apple Pay program.