Despite a number of bumps in the road related to the launch of Apple Pay, it seems as though Apple's payment system is moving steadily full steam ahead.
This week a number of Bank of America debit customers experienced being double-billed using Apple Pay due to a system error between the bank and an unnamed payment network.
"We apologize for the inconvenience and are correcting this issue immediately and all duplicates will be refunded," said Tara Burke, a spokesperson at the bank's headquarters in Charlotte, N.C.
Bank of America has promised to quickly issue refunds for all duplicate billings, and declined to comment on how many customers were affected.
Another recent hurdle to Apple Pay has been the fact that Rite Aid, which accepted Apple Pay at the start of the week, has begun blocking all Apple Pay and Google Wallet purchases at its stores, with the reason for the decision being unclear.
"We just can't take it at this time," said a Rite Aid representative.
It is unclear if the company is disabling all NFC payments, which would include debit and credit cards with NFC chips, or if it is simply targeting Apple and Google's payment systems specifically.
There are some Apple Pay bright spots as well. Amazon customers will soon be able to pay for purchases using Apple Pay. Some reports suggest some card types will not yet support the system, but Amazon says it is working to make the Amazon Visa Rewards Card be supported by Apple.
A number of co-branded cards also have yet to be approved, but it is likely many of them will get Apple Pay support in the near future. Bank of America, American Express, Chase and Citi Bank all offer support for co-branded cards.
While Apple Pay is currently only available in the U.S., reports are suggesting it could be used outside of the U.S. as long as the app is linked to a U.S. card. Users also need to set their home country to being the U.S. Otherwise, it is expected that Apple Pay may expand to other countries in the near future, depending on its success in the U.S.
Since its launch, Apple Pay has received generally favorable reviews, with many saying it is indeed one of the safest ways to purchase items. Apple Pay, over time, could change how people spend their money, both online and in-store.
