Apple announced today that it will bring contactless payments to iPhone users in the United States later this year. The feature is called Tap to Pay.
“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,” Apple’s vice president Jennifer Bailey says. “In collaboration with payment platforms, app developers, and payment networks, we’re making it easier than ever for businesses of all sizes—from solopreneurs to large retailers—to seamlessly accept contactless payments and continue to grow their business.”
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Tap to Pay will require an iPhone XS or newer—basically, a supported iPhone that includes NFC—a future version of iOS, and a third-party app of some kind. Stripe is already on board, as one might expect, and other payment systems are expected to sign up by launch. They’d be crazy not to: today, systems like Stripe require a phone dongle or dedicated device to accept in-person payments. Now, all a merchant will need is their iPhone.
The checkout process looks to be about as seamless as one might expect: the merchant will just prompt the customer to hold their iPhone or Apple Watch to pay with Apple Pay, their contactless credit or debit card, or another digital wallet near the merchant’s iPhone. Then, the payment will be securely completed using NFC.
Apple notes that Apple Pay is already accepted at over 90 percent of U.S. retailers, but with this new capability, virtually any business, of any size, will be able to securely accept contactless payments. Tap to Pay on iPhone is coming to Apple Store locations in the U.S. later this year as well.
dftf
<p>This app already allows you to receive contactless payments from debit and credit cards, and from <em>Apple Pay, Google Pay </em>and <em>Samsung Pay</em> on <em>Android </em>devices with NFC:</p><p><strong>play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tap2go.softpos</strong></p><p><br></p><p>(There is also one called <em>MyCard</em> by <em>"Road Dogs Software"</em>, but it’s unclear from the description if it uses the built-in NFC, or if you have to purchase an NFC-dongle that goes in the headphone-jack.)</p>
dftf
<p>Adorable and useful, and still-offered on many <em>Android</em> phones ;)</p>
dftf
<p>This app would appear to do the same for Android users:</p><p>play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tap2go.softpos</p>
dftf
<p>As someone in the UK, I’ve definitely been in small, indie restaurant and cafés where they have accepted contactless credit-card payments on an Android phone, so apps for it clearly do exist, but as they are business-focused, not consumer-focused, we’re probably all just not that aware of them.</p><p><br></p><p>A quick search in the <em>Google Play Store</em> though and I did find one called <em>tap2go</em>, which says it allows "[…] any <em>Android</em> smartphone with [an] NFC module [in] the terminal [to accept] contactless payments with bank cards and <em>Google Pay</em>, <em>Apple Pay</em> and <em>Samsung Pay </em>[…]", so at-least one does exist. (I’m sure I’ve seen others advertised in ads on <em>YouTube</em> before-now, too.)</p>
dftf
<p>I think the unique thing <em>Apple </em>is doing here is simply allowing <em>consumers / "home users" </em>to accept card-payments via NFC.</p><p><br></p><p>When it comes to <em>businesses </em>or <em>professionals</em>, a number of apps on <em>Android</em> already allow you to receive payment via NFC. Just some other examples I’ve found:</p><p><br></p><p><strong>"Charge – Accept Credit Card Payments via Stripe"</strong></p><p>play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.platinumapps.chargeforstripe</p><p><br></p><p><strong>"myPOS Glass"</strong></p><p>play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mypos.top</p><p><br></p><p><strong>"Nomod – Point of Sale (POS)"</strong></p><p>play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nomod.next</p><p><br></p><p><strong>"SimplyPayMe"</strong></p><p>play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.smarttradeapp</p><p><br></p><p><strong>"tapXphone"</strong></p><p>play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=by.iba.tapxphone</p><p><br></p><p>(Have to say, I’m surprised that the <em>PayPal</em> app doesn’t currently offer such functionality.)</p>
dftf
<p>In the bulletpoints for the <em>Charge </em>app it literally says it lets the user "Accept most major credit cards including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, Discover & more". It doesn’t appear from any of the detail you have to own a Bluetooth-connected <em>Stripe </em>card-reader, so it sounds like this is via NFC.</p>