NEWS – Apple announced in a recent press release that Target and Taco Bell will be joining the growing (and already large) list of merchants who will accept Apple Pay.
Apple Pay is rolling out now in Target stores and will be available in all 1,850 locations across the US in the coming weeks. Customers can use Apple Pay today at more than 245 Hy-Vee stores in the Midwest and inside the store at all of Speedway’s approximately 3,000 locations across the Midwest, East Coast and Southeast. Apple Pay is also rolling out to more than 7,000 Taco Bell and 2,200 Jack in the Box locations in the next few months.
Target, in particular, seems to have been holding out on Apple Pay, instead focusing on its own Wallet app launched in late 2017 for speedy in-store checkout. As someone who uses their Apple Watch to pay for nearly everything from gas to groceries, I’m happy to add another frequently visited store to that list.
However, on a sour note, Target confirmed via Twitter that their REDCard, which saves members 5% each time they use it, will not be added to Apple Pay. Hopefully, they can remedy that quickly, as now I’m forced to make the decision at the register as to whether I want to dig out my REDCard and remember my pin to save 5% or simply wave my hand over the terminal and be on my way.
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This is a sponsored post; while the views expressed here are mine, consideration was paid to me by IndieDoGood to write this article.
The Maker Movement is a group of inventors, designers, engineers, artists, and craftsman that embrace the do-it-yourself spirit and excitement of bringing consumers one of a kind products. IndieDoGood.com was created to help makers succeed while at the same time give back to society. How do they do that? IndieDoGood.com connects entrepreneurs and inventors with consumers on their website who are looking for innovative and unique products. Every purchase of a maker’s product on the Indie Do Good site includes a “do-good” which is a 5% donation of the total purchase price of the product to a charity that the buyer can choose from a list of their partner charities.
I don’t know about you, but knowing that even a small portion of my hard earned money gives back to charity, is an incentive to buy from that maker. I’m not alone in this feeling. Currently, 75% of consumers age 22-36 consider it important to support brands that give back to society, and 37% of those same consumers are more likely to buy items associated with a particular cause, especially if they are causes that they and their friends support.
IndieDoGood.com was founded by Ron and Sue Otten. Sue had a successful corporate career at Apple before she and her husband Ron became makers themselves and created the Indie Do Good website to help other makers.
The Founders, Ron and Susan Otten, had successful corporate careers and now are successful entrepreneurs and makers themselves. What drives them is their passion for two things; one, providing an environment for other entrepreneurs to begin their story; two, giving back to charities and local communities, contributing to a better world.
As of this writing, Indie Do Good is featuring almost a dozen different makers and their selection of products. Here is more info about just a few of the makers that are currently offering their products through the IndieDoGood.com
Shore Boards
Shore Boards started by building hollow-wood paddle boards, that can even be customized and are gorgeous pieces of art. These top-quality, heirloom boards are handmade for all types of board sports including Stand Up Paddle Boards (SUPs), Longboards, and Wakesurf boards. Using sustainable materials, Shore Boards brings to life a high-performance art that is grown to ride. Here’s a fantastic video that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the way these boards are made and provides some insights to this home-grown artisan company.
Fair Anita
Fair Anita is a social enterprise that exists to create opportunities for women and girls, selling trendy (and affordable) fair trade jewelry and accessories made by over 8,000 talented women in 16 countries. Fair Anita provides dignified jobs in countries with extreme poverty and domestic violence. The company’s talented artisan partners carefully design and create all products by hand—gorgeous accessories you can be proud to wear.
Cycle Force
Cycle Force is the home of unique and hard to find bikes from around the world. It was founded and is operated by bike enthusiasts who have a goal of a bicycle for every man, woman, and child on the planet. In addition to its awesome bike selection, Cycle Force also offers parts and accessories for just about any make, model or style of cycling. Company founder Nyle Nyms firmly believes that his company does not just sell bicycles…they provide Independence to their customers around the world.
If you would like to help support the Maker Movement and learn more about the Indie Do Good makers, head over to IndieDoGood.com for more maker stories and their catalog of unique products.
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Did you purchase something with your credit card only to discover a little while later that it had gone on sale? If it was only a couple of dollars, you may not be too worried about that, but what if it was $20 or more? The easiest thing to do is call and see if the merchant will do a price adjustment for you and refund you the difference.
You could also use a new feature in the Slice app which will automatically request a refund on your behalf if it finds that the price has dropped on an item you’ve purchased, but you must link your credit card to your Slice account (works only with supported merchants). Here’s the catch: they do this for a 25% cut of your refund. Slice is a package tracking app available for Android and iOS devices and allows you to link up to three email accounts. After which it combs through your messages searching for your online purchase emails. It will then inform you of the shipping status of those purchases.
If you are already a Slice user, when you open your app you may see the first two screenshots above telling you to provide the information necessary to link a credit card with your Slice account to start the process. If you do not see the first two screenshots, then all you have to do is tap on the following: the Menu icon > Settings > Link Credit Card and enter the data to link your credit card (as shown in the right screenshot above).
If you don’t want to have to keep up with price drops then this may be beneficial for you because something is better than nothing. Although in all the time I’ve used Slice (five years or so), I’ve never been informed of any price drops and I know there have been some because I personally have caught at least three.
So let’s move on to a more lucrative process to receive a price drop refund.
Some credit cards have price protection benefits that they offer to their customers (which is different from purchase protection benefits that include coverage for damaged or stolen goods over a 60 to 90-day period from the date of the purchase, etc.). Cards like Discover, Citi, and Chase Freedom provide price protection for their customers such that if the price of an eligible identical item drops at a store (in-store or online) within a 90-day period (60-day period for Citi), they will refund the difference up to $500 per item with a maximum of $2500 per year.
To start the process of obtaining your refund, you must submit a claim by calling the credit card company. With Citi, after you purchase the item, you need to log into their website and go to the Card Benefits section, click on “Start a price rewind”, enter the item in and they will start looking around for better prices for you for the 60-day period. That’s a bit of a pain compared to other credit card companies.
Be prepared to be able to provide receipts, the credit card statements that the items were purchased on, and a copy of the printed or online advertised sales. There are exclusions, so be sure to check your credit card company’s price protection details to make sure your purchase qualifies (Discover, Citi, and Chase).
There are sure to be many other credit cards out there that provide this benefit, so go online or call your credit card company and save some money!
You can download the Slice package tracking app for Android and iOS.
I know that you just put away the Halloween decorations a few days ago and you haven’t even planned your Thanksgiving menu yet, but like it or not, the holiday shopping season is already upon us. Each year stores start talking about their Black Friday shopping deals earlier and earlier. To help you get the most out of your holiday gift shopping budget, we’ll be bringing you gift guides and shopping deals on a regular basis. Today I want to share some info on Best Buy’s top tech gifts for 2017.
According to researchers at Best Buy, 73% of techies like you and I prefer to buy gifts for ourselves. I’m on this list. If there’s something that I want, I will buy it for myself because I know exactly what I want and am savvy enough to find the best price for it. Also, Jeanne never buys me tech gifts because she has no clue what I’d need, want, or already have.
What about the most popular gifts based on gender and age? Best Buy’s research finds that Millennials and men under 50 want video games and computers more than any other gifts. While women under 50 are split between computers/tablets and smartphones, and both men and women over 50 want a new TV.
I’m in that over 50 female demographic and a new TV is almost always at the top of my new tech wish list. Though right now a new one isn’t a priority for me because I’m still happy with the 65″ Hisense TV which I reviewed two months ago. This is a very nice TV and is currently only $850 through Best Buy.
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Google is opening pop-up stores in New York City and Los Angeles to sell their new products announced at the Pixel 2 launch event earlier this month. They will have interactive pods that let you play with the Pixel 2, Google Home, and Daydream View, plus more. If you’re on either coast you can visit the stores from now until December 31 to get your holiday shopping on, or perhaps buy something for yourself! You can find out more about events and products at the Google store website.
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Did you purchase something with your credit card only to discover a little while later that it had gone on sale? If it was only a couple of dollars, you may not be too worried about that, but what if it was $20 or more? The easiest thing to do is call and see if the merchant will do a price adjustment for you and refund you the difference.
