CVS and Rite Aid's decision to not accept Apple Pay at their retail stores has earned the attention of law firm Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe, which is investigating a potential class action lawsuit against both companies.
Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe said the possible lawsuit is aimed at enabling customers to use Apple's mobile payment system at Rite Aid and CVS stores, according to Mac Rumors. The firm is also looking to talk to consumers affected by the payment method becoming unavailable at these locations.
The firm's involvement in the issue follows a week after CVS and Rite Aid decided to stop accepting Apple Pay.
"In light of this situation, Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe is investigating whether CVS and Rite Aid violated the antitrust laws by banding together with other MCX members in a decision to boycott other payment systems, including Apple Pay," the firm said. "Consumers with phones that support Apple Pay may be able to participate in a class action to restore the service at CVS and Rite Aid retail stores."
Both companies are members of the Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX), a group of retailers that doesn't allow its stores to let consumers use competing mobile payment systems, Ubergizmo. Apple Pay isn't the only system facing this ban, as the group also forbids the use of payment methods like Google Wallet. The MCX's decision has received negative responses from a large number of consumers who believe it requires them to go through extra steps to make purchases.
The group is instead developing its own payment system called CurrentC, which it plans to make available to the public in 2015.
