Apple only released its mobile payment system to the public last month, but the feature is already gaining traction at many retail outlets according to the New York Times. New numbers from retailers that accept Apple Pay show that the public is jumping on board with the system in a big way
Walgreens, for example, says that since the release of Apple Pay, the number of mobile transactions conducted in its stores has doubled. Whole Foods says it has seen over 150,000 Apple Pay transactions since the iOS 8.1 update was released.
McDonald’s has also seen a rush by customers to give the new tech a try, noting that an impressive 50% of its tap-to-pay transactions since the release of iOS 8.1 came from Apple Pay.
Other mobile payment solutions like Google Wallet and Softcard have previously noted that they also got a bit of a bump in usage after many new retailers rolled out NFC support to enable Apple Pay. However, the Times points out that mobile payments still only account for a small (albeit, slowly increasing) percentage of overall transactions in the United States, with consumers spending only $37 billion through such services last year (compared to $24 billion the previous year).
