The Bank ATM Deals With ApplePay Promise What NFC Needs: Normalcy

When the news hit recently that Bank of America and Wells Fargo were preparing to integrate Apple Pay into their ATMs--on top of an existing deal with Android Pay--it promised a healthy dose of what NFC wallets need more than anything else right now: Normalcy.

At a practical level, the banks can position this as little more than an attempt to eventually phase out the plastic ATM card, not to mention then greenbacks they represent--which, of course, is true. But payment facilitators and others are relying on mobile wallets becoming more than a novelty for the geekiest of shoppers at a handful of the most tech-friendly retailers. For them, the ATM move has delightful potential.