iPhone Tap to Pay Feature Announced! Check Out

iPhone users can now simply tap and make payments! Sounds like the NFC payment feature on Android phones, but there's a twist. Until now, Android and iPhone users could make payments to merchants and merchants only if they had an NFC-enabled POS machine. With Apple's Tap to Pay, this POS machine disappears when your iPhone becomes the POS device in the transaction.

Yep, that means your local grocery store can now have your iPhone act as a method for accepting digital payments. The merchant may ask the customer to hold their iPhone, Apple Watch, NFC-based payment card, or digital wallet near their iPhone while making the transaction. Apple says that the payment will be made automatically as soon as the customer taps to pay. This system eliminates the need for a dedicated POS machine and allows small businesses to take advantage of a digital payment system.

iPhone Tap to Pay Feature Announced

"At checkout, the merchant will simply prompt the customer to hold their iPhone or Apple Watch to pay with Apple Pay, their contactless credit or debit card, or other digital wallets near the merchant's iPhone, and the payment will be securely completed using NFC technology. No additional hardware is needed to accept contactless payments through Tap to Pay on iPhone, so businesses can accept payments from wherever they do business," says Apple.

"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," says Jennifer Bailey, Apple's vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet.

However, Tap to Pay only works in the US for now. Tap to Pay on iPhone will work with contactless debit and credit cards from American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa, Apple says.

Tap to pay supported iPhones

Tap to pay is supported on the iPhone XS series, iPhone XR, iPhone 11 series, iPhone SE 2020, iPhone 12 series, and iPhone 13 series.