We all know that Apple announced the iPhone 6, and that Richmond and Mechanicsville’s largest cell phone service providers are taking pre-orders.  iPhone 6 ships September 19th, just around the corner, and we’re wondering if Apple Pay will change the way Richmond, Mechanicsville and surrounding areas accept payments.

First of all for those who are unaware, Apple Pay is Apple’s own version of near-field communication (NFC) which uses a dedicated chip to securely transmit data from a phone to a nearby (within inches) device.  NFC has been in other phones for some time, but this is new territory for Apple.  Basically, your credit card will be tied to an Apple Pay account (similar or connected to iTunes I suspect)  so you can simply move your phone near a compatible credit card machine and accept the charge with your fingerprint.

As far as Richmond retail goes, there are already hundreds of compatible machines in place.  According to The New York Times Apple has also negotiated lower rates directly with banks, which may make it attractive to businesses.  Interestingly, however, Walmart and BestBuy are NOT going to accept Apple Pay.  It certainly sounds convenient, but similar schemes such as Google Wallet and CurrentC have failed to gain traction.  In the end, only time will tell, but Apple has a huge financial and social hand and they’ve given this a giant push.   With iPhone 6 pre-orders over 4million, it certainly seems that they can get people to give it a try and see if it catches on, specially since a mobile app company based on New York City has announced new developments.