CVS, Rite Aid Ditch Apple Pay

Apple Pay has lined up a number of top retailers, but Rite Aid and CVS are not among them.

The drug stores, the New York Times reported on Sunday, have dropped nationwide support for Apple Pay.

"Given that we are still in the process of evaluating our mobile payment options, Rite Aid does not currently accept Apple Pay," a company spokeswoman said in a statement to PCMag. "We are continually evaluating various forms of mobile payment technologies, and are committed to offering convenient, reliable and secure payment methods that meet the needs of our customers."

CVS echoed that sentiment, saying in an emailed statement that "at this time, CVS/pharmacy cannot accept Apple Pay or other mobile payments that use NFC technology. We are in the process of evaluating mobile payment options for our customers."

The reasons for shunning Cupertino's highly anticipated service remain unclear. But the Times pointed to a rival service announced last month, which is under development by the Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX). According to Bloomberg, the stores also shut out rival services like Google Wallet and Softcard.

The NYT reported that MCX's service, dubbed CurrentC, will help merchants keep track of customer shopping habits, and could cut credit card companies out of the payment process entirely. CVS and Rite Aid, both members of the MCX consortium, are not listed among those using Apple Pay in stores. Pharmacy chains Duane Reade and Walgreens, however, do accept the mobile wallet payment service.

Apple declined to comment.

Other MCX members include Target, Walmart, Olive Garden, Old Navy, Sam's Club, Kmart, Kohl's, Lowe's, and more, according to the service's website.

Cupertino last week released its long-awaited Apple Pay as part of iOS 8.1; iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users can now make secure payments with their phones. Recent purchases are stored in Passbook, but details are not saved by Apple. Early adopters include Visa, MasterCard, and American Express, as well as a handful of banks and retailers.

Some Bank of America customers, however, found their accounts charged twice when using Apple Pay. The double-pay issue was quickly fixed, BoA said; all impacted customers were refunded.

For more, see How to Use Apple Pay, as well as Why You Should Ditch Your Wallet for Apple Pay.

Editor's Note: This story was updated on Oct. 28 with comments from CVS, Rite Aid, and Apple.