Apple has announced plans to introduce a new Tap to Pay feature for iPhone that turns the device into a contactless payment terminal. The company says that later this year, US merchants will be able to accept Apple Pay and other contactless payments like credit and debit cards using an iPhone and a partner-enabled iOS app.
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 customers. Stripe will be the first payment platform to offer Tap to Pay on iPhone to customers. Apple says additional payment platforms and apps will follow later this year.
Once Tap to Pay on iPhone is released, merchants will be able to unlock contactless payment acceptance via a compatible iOS app. At checkout, the merchant will ask the customer to keep their iPhone or Apple Watch close to the merchant’s iPhone and the payment will be completed securely using NFC technology. No additional hardware is required to accept contactless payments. Apple also says that with Tap to Pay on the iPhone, customer payment data is protected and that all transactions that are made through the feature are encrypted.
The company notes that Apple Pay is already accepted by more than 90% of US retailers and that this new feature will allow customers to check out more easily. Tap to Pay on iPhone will also launch at Apple Store stores in the US later this year. Apple plans to work closely with payment platforms and app developers to bring Tap to Pay on iPhone to millions of US merchants Tap to Pay on iPhone will work with contactless credit and debit cards from multiple payment networks, including American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa.
“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 of , security and convenience of the iPhone,” said Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, in an declaration.
Apple says Tap to Pay on iPhone will be available to participating payment platforms and its app developer partners in an upcoming beta version of the iOS software.