If you’ve ever wondered why a store doesn’t take Apple Pay, you’re not alone.
In a video with over 328,000 views, TikTok user and H-E-B employee Sadie Montano says that no, she also does not know why her store does not accept Apple’s payment system.
“If we had a dollar every time someone ask why we don’t have apple pay,” she writes in the text overlaying the video. In the video, Montano can be seen holding several piles of H-E-B Buddy Bucks, which are redeemable rewards at H-E-B.
@sadieemontano idk i just work here 😖 #heb #FlexEveryAngle #fyp ♬ original sound – don juan
It’s true that H-E-B does not accept Apple Pay, according to both the company itself and numerous other sources, but it’s unclear as to why.
H-E-B has its own app called H-E-B Go which allows users to select and pay for groceries with their phone, though neither the app nor the store is equipped to process transactions through Apple Pay.
In TikTok comments, users say that this is a common frustration for both shoppers and employees.
“I feel like I’m grocery shopping in 1996 when I can’t use m Apple Pay,” one user wrote. “I’m going to start writing checks again.”
“I’ve checked out next to so many people that had to leave their stuff cause they don’t have Apple Pay,” another added.
“HEB worker here : FACTS LITERALLY 100 TIMES A DAY,” one user stated.
Many had theories as to why this might be the case.
“why places don’t have apple pay? apple charges too much to stores to use it as a form of payment,” claimed a commenter.
“It’s because they don’t want to ‘comprise the customers information,’” offered another.
However, neither of these explanations stands up to scrutiny, according to Business News Daily.
“Aside from the cost of the processing terminal…Apple Pay is free for consumers and businesses to use,” writes author Sean Peek. “There is no additional cost for companies to accept Apple Pay. Instead, Apple charges credit card issuers 15 basis points, or 0.15% of an Apple Pay purchase, for a guarantee that the tokenization is secure.” That said, the credit cards connected to the Apple Pay account will still charge a fee, with the fee amount varying from card to card.
As far as security is concerned, Apple Pay appears far more secure than using a credit card alone.
“To keep users’ information safe, Apple Pay uses a security process called tokenization that prevents fraud and identity theft,” Peek details. “Tokenization replaces a consumer’s credit card account number with a series of randomly generated numbers, known as the token. The token travels over the internet or payment network and processes the payment without actual bank account details being exposed.”
It’s unclear how many businesses accept Apple Pay. Apple currently claims that “over 85 percent of retailers in the U.S.” accept Apple Pay, though the company also put out a press release earlier this year stating that “Apple Pay is already accepted at more than 90 percent of US retailers.”
No matter how many stores accept it, it’s definitely dominating the market; PYMNTS claims that 48% of global mobile wallet transactions are conducted using the service.
This has led many on TikTok to beg retailers like H-E-B to embrace the changing times.
As one user simply stated, “GET APPLE PAY.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to H-E-B via email and Montano via TikTok comment.
