Most merchants have disabled the ability to use NFC in response to Apple’s new Apple Pay. Not only are they not allowing Apple Pay, they are completely disabling or tweaking their NFC card readers to disallow NFC payments. Along with that, it will disable cards that have NFC chips enabled in them.

Here’s a list of places that already disabled NFC payments:

• Walmart
• Kmart (They are trying to go out of business)
• 7-Eleven
• Best Buy
• CVS
• Rite Aid

There is a reason they are disabling this. The retailers through a joint venture have decided to build their own mobile payment app. This one does not use NFC however, it uses QR codes. Really? Their app is called CurrentC, but there is one large problem. No bank is backing this app. Payments will be processed via your bank account and routing number. Very secure right?

Now lets list all the currently confirmed CurrentC partners:

• Walmart
• Gap
• Old Navy
• 7-Eleven
• Kohls
• Lowes
• Dunkin Donuts
• Sams Club
• Sears
• Kmart
• Bed, Bath & Beyond
• Banana Republic
• Stop & Shop
• Wendys

That’s a lot of places. But why QR codes? Why not just use the NFC readers they already spent a ton of money rolling out company wide?