Microsoft Begins Rolling Out Wallet with Tap to Pay to Windows Insiders

Good news, Windows phone fans: Microsoft is finally beginning to roll out an e-wallet solution with Tap to Pay functionality to its most recent Lumia devices. It will work anywhere you see a contactless payment symbol.

“Microsoft has introduced tap to pay with Microsoft Wallet to Windows Insiders (build 14360 or higher), giving customers a more secure and simple way to pay,” a Microsoft representative told me. “Microsoft Wallet with tap to pay is available to Windows Insiders with Windows 10 Mobile devices, starting in the U.S. with the Lumia 950, 950 XL and 650.”

As suggested by that quote, there are a number of caveats here.

First, it’s U.S. only, at least for now.

You must be running a recent NFC-enabled Lumia, meaning a Lumia 950, 950 XL or 650.

That Lumia must be enrolled in the Windows Insider program, and running Windows 10 Mobile build 14360 or higher.

And it appears to only work with Mastercard and VISA cards, if I’m reading the announcement correctly. And only with certain banks, including some of the bigger institutions like Bank of America, Chase, US Bank and a few others.

The good news? Thanks to the wonders of contactless payments, Microsoft’s new Wallet app and its Tap to Pay functionality will actually work at over one million retail locations right off the bat. You may recall that Microsoft’s previous Wallet app for Windows Phone 8 only launched in France, on only via the wireless carrier Orange, and then quietly disappeared.

And like that original Wallet app, the new version also supports reward and membership cards too.

I’m out today, but I’ll be testing this app as soon as possible. In the meantime, you can learn more at the Microsoft Wallet web site. General availability is slated for “later this summer,” which I take to mean, when the Windows 10 Anniversary update ships.