Monday, July 28, 2014

Amazon is reportedly making a Square-like payment card reader

Amazon may revolve around online shopping, but it apparently has some interest in brick-and-mortar retail -- there are now hints that it's launching a Square-style payment card reader. The crew at 9to5Mac has obtained Staples documents showing that a $10 "Amazon Card Reader" is launching sometime in the near future. While there's no exact release date on hand, the supply store is expected to start advertising Amazon's gadget on August 12th; logic suggests the peripheral would go on sale around then.

The company hasn't confirmed any plans, so take the apparent leak with a few grains of salt. We've reached out to Amazon to see if it can shed more light on the subject. Such a move would make sense for the e-commerce giant, though. It launched a wallet app mere days ago, so it clearly has an existing interest in the mobile payment sphere. Provided the leak is accurate, the real question is whether or not Jeff Bezos and company can lure stores away from the likes of Square or PayPal. This is already a fiercely competitive space, and many retailers are already wary of Amazon given that it thrives on luring customers away from conventional shops.

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