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CurrentC

CurrentC is a mobile payment app created by a consortium of major retailers as an alternative to services like Apple Pay and Google Wallet. It allows users to pay and redeem coupons at participating merchants using a QR code scanned at checkout.

What is CurrentC?

CurrentC is a mobile payment app and platform developed by MCX (Merchant Customer Exchange), a consortium of major U.S. retailers including Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Lowe's. It was intended to be an industry-standard mobile payment solution to compete with services like Apple Pay and Google Wallet.

The app allows customers to pay in-store by scanning a QR code generated at checkout. It can be linked to the user's bank account, store loyalty cards, and coupons for seamless redemption during payment. CurrentC does not support NFC payments.

In 2014 and 2015, CurrentC was in a beta testing phase but faced significant delays in full rollout. There were also concerns about security and privacy as it required access to a large amount of personal data. Major partners like Best Buy and Rite Aid backed out of the program.

As of 2022, CurrentC has essentially been discontinued after failing to gain traction against Apple Pay and Google Pay. The MCX consortium quietly closed down, although the underlying technology may be leveraged in the future for other mobile payment solutions.

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