San Francisco – Rite Aid stores will start accepting Apple’s mobile payment system, Apple Pay, later this month after initially shunning the service in favor of a rival system.
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The pharmacy and retail chain says it will begin accepting Apple Pay and other “tap and pay” services at its 4,600 stores on Aug. 15. It also plans to accept Google’s revamped Android Pay service when it’s released for mobile devices later this year.
Rite Aid was one of several retailers, including Walmart, that have not worked with Apple Pay since the digital service launched last year, while they were part of a merchant consortium developing a rival system known as CurrentC. Apple Pay is still not accepted at some major chains, but consortium member Best Buy also said earlier this year that it would start accepting Apple Pay in its U.S. stores.
RiteAid Corp., which is based in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, says it will also accept CurrentC when it becomes available.