Later this year US businesses will be accepting contactless payments using just an iPhone and a partner-enabled iOS app
No additional hardware is needed to accept contactless payments through Tap to Pay on iPhone(Image credit: Apple)
Apple has announced exciting plans to introduce Tap to Pay on iPhone, which it will roll out in the US later this year. The new feature will allow businesses small and large to use their iPhone to securely accept Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets through a simple tap to their iPhone. The best bit? No additional hardware or payment terminal needed, making it unnecessary for merchants to invest in a Square device or a SumUp terminal.
Tap to Pay on iPhone will be available for payment platforms and app developers to integrate into their iOS apps and offer as a payment option to their business customers. Stripe will be the first payment platform to offer Tap to Pay on iPhone to their business customers, including the Shopify Point of Sale app this spring. Apple says that additional payment platforms and apps will follow later this year.
“Provide businesses with a secure, private, and easy way to accept contactless payments and unlock new checkout experiences”
Jennifer Bailey, Apple
“As more and more consumers are tapping to pay with digital wallets and credit cards, Tap to Pay on iPhone will provide businesses with a secure, private, and easy way to accept contactless payments and unlock new checkout experiences using the power, security, and convenience of iPhone,” said Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet.
“In collaboration with payment platforms, app developers, and payment networks, we’re making it easier than ever for businesses of all sizes — from solopreneurs to large retailers — to seamlessly accept contactless payments and continue to grow their business,” Bailey continued.
Supporting iOS app
Once Tap to Pay on iPhone becomes available in the US later this year, merchants will be able to unlock contactless payment acceptance through a supporting iOS app on an iPhone XS or later smartphone. Use will be super simple - at checkout, the merchant will prompt the customer to hold their iPhone or Apple Watch to pay with Apple Pay, their contactless credit or debit card, or other digital wallet near the merchant’s iPhone, and the payment will be securely completed using NFC technology.
No additional hardware will be needed to accept contactless payments through Tap to Pay on iPhone, so businesses can accept payments from wherever they do business – which we can see being incredibly popular. Apple Pay is already accepted at more than 90 percent of US retailers and this new feature will simply cement their position in the market.
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Tap to Pay on iPhone will be a US exclusive at first – but we hope to see it rolled out to other markets too.
Rachael is a British journalist with 18 years experience in the publishing industry. Since working on www.digitalcameraworld.com, she’s been freelancing, and contributing to some of the world’s best-loved websites and magazines including T3.com and TechRadar.com and has also had a book, iPad for Photographers, published. She's currently acting as editor of 5GRadar.com - a website specializing in the latest cellular technology.
