The rumor has been circulating for a while and today it’s official. On its website, Apple has just introduced a new iPhone feature called “Tap to Pay” that will allow merchants to turn their iPhones into terminals to accept contactless payments, via Apple Pay or via credit cards.
“The new capability will allow millions of merchants across the U.S., from small businesses to large retailers, to use their iPhones to seamlessly and securely accept Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets via a simple tap on their iPhone – no additional hardware or payment terminal needed”, explains Apple. “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. »
No more need to buy a specific hardware to accept contactless payments, an iPhone is enough
Indeed, at the moment, this novelty is announced only in the United States and it is not yet known when it will arrive in Europe. By the way, even for the deployment in the USA, the Cupertino firm is still unclear. Apple says that the feature will soon be available in beta, which will allow developers to develop the integration of Tap to Pay to their applications.
In any case, when the feature becomes available to the general public, Tap to Pay will allow merchants to accept contactless payments on an iPhone XS or a newer model. At the checkout, they will only have to ask the customer to hold his iPhone for payment via Apple Pay, or his credit card if it is compatible with contactless payments.
This feature uses the NFC model and as for security, Apple indicates that Tap to Pay is protected by the same protection as Apple Pay. All transactions are encrypted and protected by the secure element of the iPhone. And Apple assures that it will not know which product was purchased or who bought this one.
Stripe, a company that has been providing solutions for merchants for years, will be the first company to support Tap to Pay on the iPhone, starting this spring. But other payment platforms and applications will be added to the list. Apple also announces that Tap to Pay will be compatible with credit and debit cards from major providers, including American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa.
“Whether you are a seller at an online retailer or an individual entrepreneur, you will soon be able to accept contactless payments on a device that is already in your pocket: your iPhone”, said Billy Alvarado, Stripe’s chief commercial officer. “With Tap to Pay on iPhone, millions of businesses using Stripe can improve their in-person shopping experience by offering their customers fast and secure payment. »
