More retailers sign to become Apple Pay merchants

 [Screen capture: Apple Pay | Apple website]

More people are now using Apple Pay after more merchants and retail establishments started to offer the mobile payment service in their stores, just in time for the upcoming holiday shopping rush. 

On Tuesday, the Cupertino-based company officially revealed that a good number of grocery and retail stores located in cities around Chicago, New England, as well as southeast Texas decided to sign up for the services offered by Apple Pay. 

Some of the new Apple Pay merchants that will join Whole Foods in offering the services include Shaw's Supermarkets, Bi-Lo, Albertson's, Jewel Osco, Associated Food Stores, Winn-Dixie, as well as Harvey's. 

MacWorld printed a list of retail shops that now accept payments from Apple's mobile wallet, including major department stores like Bloomingdale's and Macy's. Clothing stores like Aeropostale, American Eagle Outfitters, The Disney Store and Nike also accept the mobile payment, as well as footwear shops and sports brands like Foot Locker, including Kids Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker, House of Hoops, and Run by Foot Locker. Footaction and Sports Authority also signed up to receive Apple Pay transactions. 

Other major retailers like Babies "R" Us, BJ's Wholesale Club, Champs Sports, Duane Reade, Meijer, Office Depot, Panera Bread, RadioShack, Six:02, Staples, Toys "R" Us, Walgreens and Wegmans are also mentioned to accept payments from Apple Pay, while big gas stations like Chevron and Texaco, including retail stores like ExtraMile as well as Petco and Unleashed by Petco have Apple Pay in their systems. 

Fast food giants McDonald's and Subway also accept Apple Pay as payments for all food purchases. 

Also, the website listed the banks that signed up to become the credit and debit partners of Apple Pay, including American Express, Bank of America, Barclaycard, CapitalOne, Chase, Citi, J.P. Morgan, M&T Bank, MasterCard, Merrill Lynch, Navy Federal, Credit Union, PNC, Regions, U.S. Bank, U.S. Trust, USAA, Visa, as well as Wells Fargo. 

Apple Pay users are excited to try making their purchases with mobile payment transactions for the first time. Some even took their reactions to Twitter, saying that the process was "smooth and seamless," "brilliant and easy," and "it just magically worked."

News
Rwanda’s president on the defensive over church closures
Rwanda’s president on the defensive over church closures

Rwandan President Paul Kagame defended the government's forced closure of Evangelical churches, accusing them of being a “den of bandits” led by deceptive relics of colonialism. 

We are the story still being written
We are the story still being written

The story of Christ continues in the lives of those who take up His calling.

Christians harassed, attacked all over India at Christmas
Christians harassed, attacked all over India at Christmas

International Christian Concern reported more than 80 incidents in India, some of them violent, over Christmas.

Christian killings in Nigeria could double in 2026 if extremist threat is not dealt with - report
Christian killings in Nigeria could double in 2026 if extremist threat is not dealt with - report

Already more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than all other countries combined.