DUNCAN: “Data security is paramount, but so is flexibility, cost and ease of use”

“Merchants large and small make business decisions every single day based upon what makes the best sense for the business, their associates and most importantly, their customers,” says Mallory Duncan, senior vice president of the US’s National Retail Federation, in a statement issued in the wake of the decision taken by CVS and Rite Aid to stop accepting Apple Pay and other NFC payments.

“The payment systems they decide to implement are no different. Data security is paramount, but so is flexibility, cost and ease of use. There are a number of new technologies reaching the marketplace, and a number of other systems on the horizon.

“It is easy to second guess why a specific retailer chooses one technology or another, or what payments they will or will not accept, but you can be sure that the bottom line consideration is what is best for their company and their consumer.”

The NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association.