University of Oklahoma students get Apple Pay “sooner” rather than later

The Oklahoma Sooners may not be a team you’ve ever heard of, but the University is living up to its mascot name. The University will be the very first in the United States to receive Apple Pay at all 400 checkpoints on campus – including restaurants, bookstores, and everything in-between. The campus posted a “why having Apple Pay campuswide is so awesome” post this week, in honor of the arrival of Apple Pay to campus. Oklahoma University students can expect Apple Pay to roll out campuswide this week, experiencing the future of mobile payments “sooner” rather than later (hey, the word “sooner” was just begging for it here).

Although the University of Oklahoma is the first college in the country to receive this honor, it won’t be the last. Apple CEO Tim Cook has already announced during Apple’s earnings call that both Auburn University, Tim Cook’s alma mater, and the University of Kentucky would also receive Apple Pay in the near future. Duke University’s Fuqua Business School, the Business School of Ivy-League and world-renown Duke University in Durham, NC, is also the grad-school alma mater of Apple’s CEO – so we hope to hear more about how Duke University will transition into the future of Apple’s mobile payment system as Apple Pay rolls out to OU students.

Apple Pay was announced last September, with the arrival of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Using the built-in fingerprint scanner (called Touch ID) on both devices, users can place their finger on the home button (which doubles as a fingerprint sensor) to be granted access to their mobile wallet on the device. A number of stores, including Rite-Aid, have agreed to implement Apple Pay to make the shopping experience easier and more convenient for Apple customers who want to take advantage of the new mobile payment system.

It’s been said that 700 colleges and universities in the United States will receive Apple Pay as it continues to rollout worldwide. Congratulations to the University of Oklahoma for holding this prestigious honor. Accept it gladly, and go forth as you not only graduate students but make tech-savvy adults who’ll shape the future in the process.