Apple has announced a new finance-focused feature on the iPhone called Tap to Pay that is designed for merchants in the US. It will enable small businesses to large retailers to use their iPhone to complete transactions using Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets with a simple tap.
With Tap to Pay, merchants can simply hold out their iPhone and ask the customer to tap 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. Using NFC technology, the merchant’s iPhone will authenticate and complete the transaction seamlessly.
To be offered as a payment option, Tap to Pay will need to be integrated by payment platforms and app developers into their iOS app. The first payment platform to offer the feature will be Stripe, and it will be available in the Shopify Point of Sale app this spring. More leading payment platforms and app developers are expected to offer the feature soon.
Tap to Pay on iPhone will be available to participating payment platforms and their app developer partners as a SDK in an upcoming iOS software beta.
Commenting on the feature, Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet said:
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.