Apple Announces ‘Tap to Pay’ Feature Allowing iPhones to Accept Contactless Payments Without Additional Hardware
When the feature launches “later this year,” merchants in the U.S. will be able to accept contactless payments through supported iOS apps on an iPhone XS or newer. At checkout, the merchant will simply prompt the customer to hold their own iPhone or Apple Watch, contactless credit or debit card, or other digital wallet near the merchant’s iPhone, and the payment will be securely completed using NFC technology.
Currently, merchants that accept contactless payments on an iPhone must rely on additional hardware like the Square Reader, which can connect to an iPhone’s Lightning connector or the 3.5mm headphone jack on older models.
Stripe will be the first payment platform to offer Tap to Pay on iPhone to their business customers, including Shopify, and additional payment platforms and apps will follow later this year, according to Apple. It appears that the feature will be exclusive to the U.S. at launch, with no mention of additional countries or regions.
Apple said the Tap to Pay feature will also roll out to Apple Store locations in the U.S. starting later this year.
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