Re: [MacGroup] Privacy is the secret sauce that makes Apple Pay Cash special

[John Robinson]

Amen Tom!!   Thanks. 

John. 

Sent from my iPhone

> On Aug 7, 2018, at 4:03 PM, tom holloman  wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> Privacy is the secret sauce that makes Apple Pay Cash special
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.cultofmac.com_568251_privacy-2Dis-2Dthe-2Dsecret-2Dsauce-2Dthat-2Dmakes-2Dapple-2Dpay-2Dcash-2Dspecial_=DwIFAg=OAG1LQNACBDguGvBeNj18Swhr9TMTjS-x4O_KuapPgY=F2GFXrjLFqVo3VwvIlo_XYeEiRRjHv15rxcenz7A21woG2aFGcrzndoSsskxfmOs=nS_zLHYLyBRG5kg8wz4_FZn14VS9pUznCdSo5nPN3D0=xRJf0qkhikBbBczluL3iUhGDgHx07l_pMog0qYelNdw=
> 
> Sent from Flipboard
> 
> 
> 
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[MacGroup] Privacy is the secret sauce that makes Apple Pay Cash special

[tom holloman]

Privacy is the secret sauce that makes Apple Pay Cash special
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.cultofmac.com_568251_privacy-2Dis-2Dthe-2Dsecret-2Dsauce-2Dthat-2Dmakes-2Dapple-2Dpay-2Dcash-2Dspecial_=DwIFAg=OAG1LQNACBDguGvBeNj18Swhr9TMTjS-x4O_KuapPgY=F2GFXrjLFqVo3VwvIlo_XYeEiRRjHv15rxcenz7A21woG2aFGcrzndoSsskxfmOs=NUrga7qzfE3DRJncoZRDJjbl_J_yhuW93hnYCQ_C9Vk=oAe9vSsNYziJlqugFxwUJeK20guW_lX2Vq9Hgahtyrs=

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Re: [MacGroup] ApplePay and Costco

[Harry Jacobson-Beyer]

Thanks John, I don’t use Kroger very often. I get my groceries at 3 places - 
Valu Mart and Paul’s Fruit market - both of which are locally owned and 
operated, and Trader Joe’s. All three take Apple Pay.
> On Aug 7, 2018, at 2:39 PM, John Robinson  wrote:
> 
> YEA Harry, thanks…we are starting to get the attention of businesses…for some 
> reason folks just don’t understand the nature of the Apple fanatic…and their 
> buying power…but they are starting to learn.  When all this started Best Buy, 
> Target, CVS and others were banning together to form their own payment system…
> 
> Spiral into the ground, now Best buy takes ApplePay, CVS will later this year 
> and if Target hasn’t yet gotten the message, they will…Kroger will also need 
> to eventually come around.
> 
> Did you see where Kroger is in a slugfest with Visa?
> 
> John
> 
> 
> 
> After Kroger strikes back at Visa, battle over credit-card fees may only get 
> worse
> Maria LaMagna
> Dan Acker/Bloomberg
> Kroger and Visa’s dispute may not make your groceries any cheaper.
> If you have a Visa credit card, be careful next time you go to Kroger: It 
> might get declined. And the same could start happening at more stores.
> 
> Foods Co Supermarkets, part of the Kroger KR, +0.47%  chain, recently said 
> that it will stop accepting Visa V, +0.41%  credit cards at 21 stores and 5 
> gas stations in California starting Aug. 14, because the store is unhappy 
> about Visa’s interchange, or “swipe” fees. 
> 
> Foods Co said it will no longer accept Visa “to save on the high costs 
> associated with the credit card company’s interchange rates and network 
> fees.” Credit card companies including Visa, Mastercard MA, +0.45% and 
> Discover DFS, +1.80% charge merchants every time a customer buys a product 
> using their cards. 
> 
> The fees vary, depending on the relationship between the retailer and the 
> company, but it is typically about 2% to 3% of the purchase price. All those 
> swipe fees can add up, especially for groceries that have relatively low 
> profit margins, said Brendan Miller, a principal analyst at the research firm 
> Forrester who covers payments.
> 
> Kroger has a partnership with Mastercard for its loyalty program, and 
> produces co-branded Mastercards, said Kendrick Sands, a senior consumer 
> finance analyst for the research firm Euromonitor. More Kroger customers 
> could now be encouraged to use Mastercard, he said, or simply turn to debit 
> cards when making purchases.
> 
> Will more retailers stop accepting certain cards?
> 
> It looks increasingly likely that retailers will feel emboldened by the 
> debacle between Kroger and Visa, said Craig Shearman, the vide president for 
> government affairs public relations at the National Retail Federation, a 
> trade group.
> 
> Shearman declined to speak specifically to Kroger’s decision, but he said 
> retailers have little ability to negotiate with credit-card companies, who 
> have “extreme market power” when it comes to how customers pay for purchases. 
> 
> Credit-card companies like Visa set their fees based on factors including the 
> size of the retailer and whether they’re accepting a card payment in person 
> or online. Those fees “are presented on a take-it-or-leave-it basis,” 
> Shearman said.
> 
> “I think retailers are definitely getting more frustrated,” he said. More 
> customers are now paying with credit cards, meaning swipe fees are more of a 
> hot-button issue and larger retailers could bring attention to that, he said. 
> “That’s what gets the attention of the card companies,” he said. 
> 
> Is this good or bad for consumers? 
> 
> Visa has indicated that it’s open to negotiation on the issue. “Visa is 
> disappointed at Kroger’s decision to stop accepting Visa credit cards at its 
> Foods Co. stores. When consumer choice is limited, nobody wins,” a Visa 
> spokesperson said in a statement. “Visa remains committed to working with 
> Kroger to reach a reasonable solution.” 
> 
> “It’s a gamble for Kroger,” said Matt Schulz, the chief industry analyst at 
> credit-card website CompareCards. “The average consumer doesn’t know anything 
> about swipe fees. All they would know is that their favorite grocery store no 
> longer accepts their favorite credit card.” Kroger, meanwhile, is likely 
> hoping that Visa will lower its credit-card swipe fees for its stores.
> 
> He agrees with Shearman from NRF. “I think every retailer is going to be 
> watching this really carefully,” he said. 
> 
> The hope for consumers: Retailers will lower their prices if/when they save 
> money on swipe fees, Schulz said. But unfortunately for shoppers, a George 
> Mason University study last year found that retailers don’t typically lower 
> prices when they reduce credit-card swipe fees. 
> 
> 
> 
>> On Aug 7, 2018, at 2:32 PM, Harry Jacobson-Beyer  wrote:
>> 
>> I was at Costco this morning and, as I do overtime I shop there, I asked if 
>> they take Apple Pay yet. Instead of the 

[MacGroup] ApplePay and Costco

[Harry Jacobson-Beyer]

I was at Costco this morning and, as I do overtime I shop there, I asked if 
they take Apple Pay yet. Instead of the usual NO, I was told  they will have 
Apple Pay within the week.

Yay!
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[MacGroup] Peer to Peer Payments...And Joining Thread....

[John Robinson]

Consumer Reports recently stated the Apple iPhone X Camera is the best 
anywhere, no other phone is close.

Now they have come out with their evaluation of Peer to Peer payments, 
security, ease of use, privacy..I wonder who they found to be outstanding?

I use Peer to Peer, and if you read the results of Consumer Reports testing 
anyone using Zella might want to reconsider.

I gather Apple joining Thread is a big deal, never heard of it but since I just 
installed a Mesh Router system the article caught my attention….

If you every want your home to be secure behind the iOt devices, be it door 
locks, lights, plugs, switches, blinds, thermostats, garage door openers, 
cameras, etc. etc. then having each devise HomeKit certified will be a huge 
step in knowing these little goodies will not provide malware to get into your 
network. 

John







Consumer Reports finds Apple Pay Cash to be the best P2P payment platform



Consumer Reports today published 

 its first-ever breakdown of the best peer-to-peer mobile payment platforms. 
Comparing Venmo, Square Cash, Facebook Messenger, Zelle, and Apple Pay Cash, 
the tests found that Apple’s offering scored “significantly higher” than 
competitors…

Overall, Apple Pay Cash received a score of 76, with features such as payment 
authentication and data privacy giving it a leg up on competitors. Apple was 
also well-rated in data security and data privacy, though it faltered in “broad 
access” when compared to its competitors.

Venmo was the second-highest scored platform with a 69 rating, while Square 
Cash received a 64, Facebook a 63, and Zelle a whopping 50. Zelle was 
particularly slammed for payment authentication, data security, data privacy, 
and broad access. A score of 81 to 100 is excellent, 61 to 80 is very good, and 
41 to 60 is good, according to Consumer Reports.

Consumer Reports explains that Apple Pay Cash received high security marks 
because of Apple’s efforts to limit data collection and for the fact Apple 
doesn’t store credit card and debit card numbers:

Apple Pay was the only service that got top marks from CR for data privacy, 
because its policies state that it limits the information it collects and 
shares on users and their transactions. It doesn’t store credit card or debit 
card numbers, and it states in the terms and conditions that it doesn’t sell 
users’ personal information to third parties, CR found.

The tests also highlighted that support for added security layers, such as a 
PIN and two-factor, Apple Pay cash was the only one to require such 
authentication, with other platforms making users opt-in.

In a statement to Consumer Reports, an Apple spokesperson touted that Apple Pay 
combines ease of use, privacy, and security:

An Apple spokesperson told CR that “Apple Pay Cash is unique from an ease of 
use, privacy, and security standpoint, as Apple Pay Cash functions seamlessly 
through hardware, software, and the service all combined.”




Apple Joins Technology Group for Mesh-Connected IoT Devices

Bryan ChaffinAug 6th, 2018 9:26 PM EDT

Apple joined the Thread Group 

 on Monday, the group behind the Thread protocol. Thread is an IPv6-based 
technology for creating mesh networks out of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, 
and using Thread requires membership in the Thread Group.


BIG NEWS: Apple has joined @TheThreadGroup 
.
 Today they joined the list of members at "Sponser BoD" level.  This is 
potentially huge for Thread, esp if added to HomeKit. 
 

Thread Protocol

As Mr. Ratliff said, this could turn into big news for HomeKit. If Apple were 
to support Thread with HomeKit, it could greatly expand the number of HomeKit, 
or at least make it easier for device makers to incorporate HomeKit support. 
Additionally,