When Apple introduced its mobile payment system in 2014, the company was looking to leverage the popularity of its iPhone by adding more functionality and convenience for millions of customers. With Apple Pay, iPhone owners and Apple Watch wearers first enter their credit- or debit-card information, which Apple confirms with the banks. Once this information is on file, Apple creates a digital “token” that will be electronically transmitted to the retailer when an iPhone owner pays for something. To complete a purchase, the customer simply waves the phone or taps it at the checkout, uses the iPhone’s Touch or Face ID security to activate Apple Pay, and the phone instantly transfers the token as payment. 

Even though Apple Pay offers consumers the benefits of convenience and security, Apple knew it wouldn’t succeed without a large network of retailers, restaurants, and other businesses agreeing to accept its mobile payments. Among the earliest businesses to sign up with Apple was McDonald’s, which agreed to honor Apple Pay in its 14,000 U.S. restaurants and drive-through locations. “We serve 27 million customers every day. This is a clear and compelling business opportunity for us,” explained McDonald’s chief information officer. Compared with cash transactions, Apple Pay transactions cost McDonald’s a few pennies more to process because of bank fees. Yet the fast-food giant was willing to sign on because it saw competitive advantage and profit potential in wooing iPhone users interested in speedy checkout.

Questions for Discussion

1. When a retailer is considering whether to participate in Apple Pay, is the decision process like a new-task purchase, a straight rebuy purchase, or a modified rebuy purchase? Explain your answer

2. Which of the four categories of business markets is Apple Pay best suited for, and why

3. Which environmental influences on the decision process seem to have been most important to McDonald’s when it decided to honor Apple Pay