Tag: apple nfc

Apple Pay will put the electronics giant in direct competition with services like Google Wallet and PayPal.

Apple Inc. announced on September 9 that it would be introducing a mobile wallet service entitled Apple Pay to its new iPhone 6 mobile devices, which were also unveiled at the event last Tuesday, and the company revealed that its digital wallet is integrated with its fingerprint ID security system and Passbook credential-storage app.

Apple Pay lets iPhone 6 users pay for purchases in-store with their smartphone.

Users will also be able pay for purchases using the service online though apps. According to Apple, using its payment systems is more secure and convenient than using a debit or credit card. Since Apply Pay has been designed to fit in with Apple’s Passbook app, which already enables users to store merchant loyalty cards, store coupons and tickets, the service is fairly simple to use.

To utilize the mobile payments technology within physical stores, users merely need to wave their smartphone in front of a compatible terminal to pay with one of their credit cards stored on the app. The payment is sent to the terminal via near field communication, also known as NFC technology, which is made possible through a chip that has been embedded in the new phones.

Currently, tens of thousands of retailers across America will accept it. Some of these include well known companies such as Macy’s, Target, Whole Foods Market, Starbucks and McDonald’s. This will give iPhone 6 users the ability to buy just about any item with a simple wave of their smartphone.

In addition, Apple’s partnership with payments processing start-up Stripe will help small app developers to power their transactions using Apple Pay.

The Apple Pay mobile wallet could make mobile payments more popular.

Aside from retailers, Apple has teamed up with three major credit card companies, Visa, MasterCard and American Express. These deals may help Apple succeed in the mobile payments space where other companies have so far had no luck.

According to the CEO of Visa, Charles W. Scharf, “Lots of companies have tried this before, but our security and the Apple payment experience will be the two biggest drivers here.” If more Apple users begin to use their smartphones to make payments, this could push other companies with digital wallet services to make similar deals with credit card companies and retailers.

At the moment, many analysts believe that if there is any company that can persuade consumers on how valuable a mobile wallet can be, Apple is the one to do it.

Apple could finally embrace NFC technology in the near future

Investment firm Morgan Stanley believes that Apple will finally embrace NFC technology through a platform called “iWallet.” This is not the first such prediction to be made concerning Apple and NFC, but past forecasts regarding the pairing have failed to live up to reality. Apple has avoided NFC largely because of its concerns regarding the technology’s security and capabilities, but this avoidance mostly involved Apple’s use of NFC in mobile payments.

NFC has come under fire in recent years due to technical problems and security issues

NFC currently forms the backbone of most mobile payments services throughout the world. The technology allows for digital information to be transmitted over short distances, making an ideal commerce tool. The technology does, however, have some security issues that have been exposed through high profile attacks on mobile services that make use of NFC. These security issues have made many consumers leery of mobile payments and has even lead some large companies, such as Google, to remove NFC support from some of their leading mobile initiatives.

Apple may be growing fonder of NFC technology

Apple’s wireless endeavors have largely focused on iBeacon, which debuted last year and represents a sort of combination of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology. Morgan Stanley predicts, however, that Apple is growing more confident in the abilities of NFC and the company could include the technology in future devices. As NFC sees more use, it is becoming more advanced and secure, making it more attractive to companies that have opted to take a cautious approach to the mobile payments space.

Apple would focus on security if it does choose to integrate NFC into future mobile devices

If Apple does embrace NFC technology, Morgan Stanley predicts that the company will focus on security. The company may choose to incorporate an NFC chip into future devices that works alongside a secure element that will store consumer financial information. The NFC chip would transmit this information when a payment is authorized by the device’s owner, using a fingerprint or other biometric information to authenticate the owner.