Apple is working on a feature where the iPhone can act as a payment terminal. Customers will be able to pay with Apple Pay, their debit or credit card to a retailer holding an iPhone. The system is called ‘Tap to Pay’ and it is not known when it will come to the Netherlands.
Update 09/02 at 3:30 PM: In the announcement from Apple, Apple mentions that in addition to credit and debit cards, other digital wallets will also work with Tap to Play. We have added that nuance to the text.
Apple Tap to Pay
iPhones will soon serve as a payment terminal for contactless payments, according to a blog post from Apple† Payments are required via NFC and shopkeepers use an app on the phone. So no additional hardware is required for Tap to Pay. Customers can then pay contactless via Apple Pay, their debit or credit card.
The advantage of this solution is that retailers do not have to use an expensive payment terminal and simply take out their telephone. Tap to Pay uses the same security as Apple Pay and transactions are encrypted with end-to-end encryption via the security chip in iPhones. In short, the information is secured and Apple does not know what users are purchasing.
The feature will be the first to be available in the United States, and Apple has not yet announced anything about a rollout in the Netherlands. At this point, Apple is already working with app developers and retailers for Tap to Pay and plans to make a software development kit (SDK) available to its partners with the next beta version of iOS.
What does this mean for Android users?
Not much at the moment because the feature is still in development and will initially only be rolled out in the US. If Apple succeeds in convincing many retailers of its payment terminal incorporated in an iPhone in the future, there will be consequences.
It may mean that Android users in stores that switch entirely to Apple’s solution will only be able to pay with your debit or credit card. Apple chooses a closed ecosystem for many of its services, but it is not yet known whether this also applies to this payment solution. In its announcement, Apple does mention that “other digital wallets” are supported in addition to credit and debit cards, but it is not yet known which ones besides Apple Pay.
What do you think of Apple’s idea? Do you think Google will soon come up with a similar payment terminal app that will also work on iPhones? Do you own a shop and what do you think of these alternative payment terminals? Let us know in the comments at the bottom of this article.
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– Thanks for information from Androidworld. Source