Most 7-Eleven stores in the United States will soon start accepting Apple Pay and Google Pay, representing a turnaround for the convenience store chain that held out in supporting the digital payments systems of Apple and Google.
Samsung Pay was the first one to be support by 7-Eleven before it started accepting Apple Pay and Google Pay. With all three digital payment systems available, it appears that the convenience store chain has finally fully embraced the technology.
Apple Pay, Google Pay Rolling Out To 7-Eleven Stores
7-Eleven said that support for Apple Pay and Google Pay has started rolling out in the United States, with the digital payments systems to be supported in most of its stores before the end of September.
"The ability to pay with their smart device gives consumers one more reason to shop at 7-Eleven," said 7-Eleven CDO and CIO Gurmeet Singh.
The addition of Apple Pay and Google Pay as digital payment options alongside Samsung Pay in 7-Eleven Stores may appear like a company simply moving forward by adopting new technology. However, it is much more than that, as 7-Eleven was among the holdouts against NFC payments, the foundation of Apple Pay and Google Pay.
7-Eleven Changes Mind On Apple Pay, Google Pay
About a month ago, Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed in a call with investors that Apple Pay will soon be coming to 7-Eleven convenience stores and CVS pharmacies, which were once hostile territories for the technology.
7-Elevent and CVS were members of the Merchant Customer Exchange, which supported the CurrentC mobile payment format. The technology's reliance on QR codes, however, led to its downfall, as it was clunky compared to tapping smartphones on a reader, as offered by Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Apparently, it is not only Apple Pay that's coming to 7-Eleven but also Google Pay, marking the end of 7-Eleven's crusade against NFC payments. The convenience store chain would have likely survived even if it did not agree to support Apple Pay and Google Pay, but it had to do so to keep up with the times.
The Success Of Apple Pay
Apple Pay, which also recently arrived to all Costco stores in the United States, has been more successful compared to Google Pay and Samsung Pay.
A survey from earlier in the year revealed that Apple Pay was particularly more popular than Google Pay and Samsung Pay among millennials of ages 25 to 34 years old and Gen Z users of ages 18 to 24 years old.
