Pretty soon it'll be much quicker to pay for your items at Hudson Valley Target stores, Taco Bell and Speedway gas stations.

If you're like me, you value your time. That's why it can become frustrating when making simple purchases seem to take much longer than they need to. While it's convenient to pay for your gas right at the pump, it becomes a bother when you need to insert your credit card, wait for the light, input your zip code and then press a number of other buttons just to buy fuel. And then, have to worry about having your information stolen by a thief.

Well, local businesses are finally doing something about this problem by incorporating Apple Pay into their payment systems. Target is the latest store to finally accept Apple Pay at the checkout, including all self-service registers.  Owners of iPhones and Apple Watches can now simply tap their device on the screen and pay.  There is no more need to insert a credit card into the chip reader and wait to sign. The payment is automatically and safely deducted from your card in just a matter of seconds.

This is even better news for gas station customers. Speedway has also committed to including Apple Pay at all of their pumps this year. There have been many incidents of card skimming in our area, where thieves put devices on the pump to steal credit card information. With Apple Pay, it's simply impossible to steal your information, as each transaction is encrypted and none of your credit card information is ever shared, even with the business you're buying from.

Other local businesses already accept Apple Pay, but not at all of their locations. That will soon change too, as companies now pledge to accept the payment at all of their stores. Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's, Best Buy, Stop & Shop, CVS and Walgreens have all made a commitment to making Apple Pay accessible to their customers.

If you haven't used Apple Pay yet, and have an iPhone I strongly suggest trying it out.  The time saved paying for purchases really adds up, and it's nice to have an electronic record of every purchase sent right to your phone. Also, the peace of mind knowing that your credit card isn't going to fall into the wrong hands is priceless.

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