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Apple Inc.’s much anticipated Watch, which includes a near-field communication (NFC) chip for making contactless payments, will be protected by a four-digit PIN, reports Australian Web site CSO.
Apple Watch users will need to enter the passcode to use Apple Pay on the watch, the site says. It remains unclear whether users will enter the code on the app or on the Watch itself. Either way, users will have to enter the passcode only after slipping the Watch onto their wrists, the report says.
To make a payment with Watch, which is expected to be released early this year, users will double click a button on the side of the device and hold the face of the watch near the contactless reader. A pulse and a beep will confirm payment.
Apparently, there also will be a companion app operating on an iPhone to manage Watch settings, reports the blog 9to5mac.com.
Meanwhile, 217 Save Mart Supermarkets grocery stores operating under the Lucky, Save Mart, and FoodMaxx brands in Northern California and Nevada now accept Apple Pay.
As a supermarket operator accepting Apple Pay, Save Mart joins the likes of grocers Bi-Lo LLC, Albertsons LLC brands Shaw’s and Jewel Osco, Whole Foods Market, and Winn-Dixie Stores Inc.
Lucky-branded groceries, in particular, have a history of payments innovation. In the mid-1980s, they were among the first merchants in the nation to accept debit cards at the point of sale.
