Why Some Stores Accept Amex But Lack Apple Pay Support: Moneris

With the launch of Apple Pay in Canada, lots of new users are eagerly testing out the mobile wallet at their favourite stores. The big chains such as McDonald’s, Tim Horton’s and Starbucks are sure bets, but what about some smaller stores?

Despite accepting American Express, some retailers have tap-to-pay disabled for the credit card. What gives? We reached out to Canada’s largest payment payment processor, Moneris, to find some answers.

According to the company, 85 per cent of their terminals in Canada are capable of accepting tap-to-pay payments. Karen Cox, Vice President of Payments and Retail Solutions, explained to iPhone in Canada, despite some merchants accepting American Express, not all “have requested that the contactless acceptance be turned on. It’s not a default feature as not all merchants want the capability.”

Cox details merchants can do two things to support Apple Pay: request the ability to accept American Express if they don’t already and also request for contactless capability to be enabled.

Regarding Apple Pay’s launch in Canada, Cox described “it’s an exciting evolution,” and noted “Moneris will continue to work with our merchants to ensure they have the acceptance they want.”

So there you have it. Merchants need to enable contactless payments on their Moneris terminals, as it’s not turned on by default. If your favourite store accepts American Express but lacks tap-to-pay for the card, ask to talk to a manager and get them to enable it.

P.S. - Like our news? Support the site with a coffee/beer. Or shop with our Amazon link. We use affiliate links when possible--thank you for supporting independent media.