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Six things to know about Apple Pay

Everything you need to know about Apple Pay.

4. What about smaller merchants?

Eric Risberg/AP
A cash register terminal promotes usage of the new Apple Pay mobile payment system at a Whole Foods store in Cupertino, Calif. on Oct. 17.

  • By Anick Jesdanun Associated Press

Dry cleaners, local restaurants and other smaller businesses are less likely to have the equipment ready. All told, there are more than 200,000 payment terminals in the U.S. capable of making "contactless" transactions, but that's out of several million.

Starting late next year, merchants will be liable for fraudulent transactions if they don't have equipment with an enhanced security system called EMV. Because merchants have to upgrade equipment to EMV anyway, they can get the NFC capability for not much more.

But many equipment makers hesitated because demand for NFC hasn't been clear. Soon after Apple announced support, iPad-based retail payment system ShopKeep decided to start including NFC and plans to distribute new equipment to its 10,000 merchants over the next year. Other equipment makers are expected to do the same.

Even though relatively few small merchants can now accept NFC payments such as Apple Pay, that's bound to change in a year when the EMV deadline comes.

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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