The problems include stores either not having the technology installed or it not functioning correctly despite the retailer being listed as supporting the service. The survey was carried out by Phoenix Marketing International.
It found that although an impressive 66% of iPhone 6 users have signed up for Apple Pay, the same percentage have also reported a problem at checkout time. Many users have been frustrated by the time taken to process a transaction or have found that the Apple Pay terminal was broken when they tried to use it.
Phoenix Marketing’s Senior Vice President Leon Majors said: “Two-out-of-three Apple Pay users have reported a problem at checkout — mostly related to terminals not working or taking too long to make the transaction, inaccurate posting of transactions and the inability of cashiers to help buyers who needed assistance in using Apple Pay.”
23% of those surveyed still expect to significantly increase their usage of Apple’s payment solution over the next three months though. This is contrasted with how 48% have paid with Apple Pay only once since its introduction.
The report found that 82% of users had linked a credit card to the service while 53% were using a debit card. 59% of those who have set the service up have gone to a store with the intention of making a purchase using Apple Pay although, as the research shows, they have not always been successful.
As the technology is still in its infancy, Apple will need to fix the issues as soon as possible and get more retailers onboard if it is to become successful. As with all new products, one bad experience could put users off for life as tried and trusted traditional alternatives in the form of credit and debit cards remain as viable as ever.
Phoenix involved 3,000 customers in its survey. From this sample, 350 had signed up to use Apple Pay on their iPhone 6. The service was first introduced in September last year with a full launch in the US completed in October.
