Apple’s new Tap to Pay feature for iPhones lets users make contactless payments using their devices. The feature is available in the United States, Canada, China, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. With Tap to Pay, users can simply hold their iPhone up to a payment terminal to make a purchase. Payments can be made with Apple Pay or other supported credit and debit cards. The feature is convenient for customers who want to avoid having to fumble with their wallets or smartphones while shopping. It also eliminates the need for customers to carry around multiple payment cards. Tap to Pay is an important step forward for mobile payments. It makes it easier for people to pay with their phones and reduces the number of times they have to fumble through their pockets or purses. ..
“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 a press release.
The first company to get on board with Apple’s new payment system is Stripe, which will start using it in Spring 2022. Apple said other companies would jump on later in 2022. The system will work with Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets through a simple tap to an iPhone.
For businesses who use companies like Stripe to process their credit cards, being able to take contactless payments right from an iPhone without any additional card readers could be a game-changer, as it allows them to get out to where their customers are and take payments quickly and safely.
“Whether you’re a salesperson at an internet-first retailer or an individual entrepreneur, you can soon accept contactless payments on a device that’s already in your pocket: your iPhone,” said Billy Alvarado, Stripe’s chief business officer.
As far as privacy and security goes, Apple says that “With Tap to Pay on iPhone, customers’ payment data is protected by the same technology that makes Apple Pay private and secure.” If you trust Apple Pay with your payments now, the same level of security will apply to this new feature.
How popular this is will depend on developers adopting it, as Apple is releasing it for them to use. Only time will tell how many payment processors decide to use Tap to Pay, but seeing as it’s Apple pushing it, we’d expect it to catch on.
