Apple Pay/Google Wallet competitor CurrentC says a list of customer email addresses were hacked - Polidicks

[url]http://www.cnbc.com/id/102132750[/url] (autoplay video alert) [quote=CNBC]One of Apple's competitors in the mobile payment space sent out an email Wednesday telling users it had been breached. CurrentC, which is a mobile payment system backed by the Mercantile Exchange (MCX), sent out an email to its pilot users stating that an unauthorized third party had obtained email addresses of some of its users, the MCX confirmed to CNBC in an email statement. "Yes. Within the last 36 hours, we learned that unauthorized third parties obtained the e-mail addresses of some of our CurrentC pilot program participants and individuals who had expressed interest in the app. Many of these email addresses are dummy accounts used for testing purposes only. The CurrentC app itself was not affected.[/quote] There's currently a big stink in both the iOS and Android scenes over CurrentC, as many big-box retailers and gas stations have disabled NFC entirely in favor of this obscure system, which uses QR codes for god knows why. It's pretty interesting though to see both scenes settle what would otherwise be petty differences to take on an issue that affects them both however.

Apple pay? Thought it was called passbook or something

[QUOTE=BFG9000;46363073]Apple pay? Thought it was called passbook or something[/QUOTE] Pay is what allows for traditional cards to be processed through the Passbook app: [url]http://www.apple.com/apple-pay/[/url]

[QUOTE=wickedplayer494;46363058] have disabled NFC entirely in favor of this obscure system, which uses QR codes for god knows why.[/QUOTE] I think a better word might be 'obtuse' here. How this works is you tell the cashier you want to pay with CurrentC, the system generates a QR code, you scan it with the app and it processes the payment. Compare this to using Apple Pay: [quote]I held my phone above the signature pad and watched as my iPhone’s screen flashed with a picture of my card and then went black. That was it. I had just made my first payment with Apple Pay and it happened so fast I didn’t even have time to have one of my rehearsed conversations with the clerk.[/quote]

[QUOTE=Sir Whoopsalot;46363261]I think a better word might be 'obtuse' here. How this works is you tell the cashier you want to pay with CurrentC, the system generates a QR code, you scan it with the app and it processes the payment. [/QUOTE] why wouldn't you just use a bloody card

[QUOTE=.Lain;46363288]why wouldn't you just use a bloody card[/QUOTE] Don't have to carry your wallet

[QUOTE=sloppy_joes;46363308]Don't have to carry your wallet[/QUOTE] Theoretically it is more secure too. US cards have no way of validating that the card is actually yours, unless you charge as debit, requiring a PIN. In fact, asking for ID is against many card holder agreements. Card information can be easily skimmed by card readers too since all the card information is in the strip. This way, the phone generates a token that can only be used once, and the merchant never has direct access to your information (unless the QR contains the card info, which is pants on head retarded).

[QUOTE=sloppy_joes;46363308]Don't have to carry your wallet[/QUOTE] i'm talking about this complicated QR method. i fully understand the benefits of NFC, however. but QR is slower than chip and pin or magnetic strip

all these competitors to Google Wallet are kinda depressing. I honestly would prefer google wallet to have a monopoly over the tap and pay systems tbh, I like how it works better. And then there's verizon's poorly named(while also being the biggest piece of shit that has ever existed, after verizon itself) ISIS, to top things off.

If you're going to develop a competing product that you hope will become the market standard, it needs to be easier than what is available. In Australia, that functionality is generally called "Paywave" and involves tapping your credit card onto the NFC terminal, then it's done (as long as your purchase is under $100, otherwise you need to enter your PIN since signatures have been superseded). At least Apple Pay/Google Wallet have it right in that you [i]just[/i] carry your phone without having to fuck around by unlocking your phone, opening the CurrenC app, waiting for the camera to focus, taking the picture of the QR code and waiting for the payment to be authorised. It'd be easier to pay with cash imho.