WSJ: Amazon Pay to challenge Apple Pay

From Amazon Pay Accepted Here? Web Giant Aims to Put Digital Wallet in Stores in Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal ($).

Amazon.com Inc. is gearing up to challenge Apple Inc. in the mobile-payments race.

The e-commerce giant is working to persuade brick-and-mortar merchants to accept its Amazon Pay digital wallet, according to people familiar with the matter, attempting to expand a service now used primarily for purchases online.

To start, the company is looking to work with gas stations, restaurants and other merchants that aren’t direct competitors, a person familiar with the matter said. Retailers that view Amazon as a threat could resist the effort, the people said…

Amazon is offering incentives such as lower payment-processing fees or marketing services to entice merchants to accept its digital wallet, according to people familiar with the matter.

My take: Of course Amazon will offer incentives. So did Apple. But I don’t get it. Why does it have to be either/or? The farmer and the cowman should be friends! (Cue the dance video.)

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