Tag: iphone mobile payments

The company has been building its workforce for a massive effort it will be making in this sector.

While Android smartphone owners have had the opportunity to use mobile payments for some time now, iPhone owners have not yet have that privilege – although that could be changing very soon.

Apple has reported started interviewing candidates for senior level positions for just this type of service.

The new hires will allegedly be responsible for creating an iTunes supported mobile payments business for Apple. According to Jennifer Bailey, an executive from Apple who was once responsible for the online stores at the company, they have recently been meeting up with “senior payments industry executives.” The purpose is to encourage them to become a part of the iPhone team in order to be a part of the company’s new initiative.

It looks as though the company is going to be making a large mobile payments push in the not too distant future.

There are two positions that Apple is working hard to fill at the moment, both of which are the type that are typically considered to be central for the early stages of the development of a new product. They are the head of business development and head of product positions.

Rumors of a smartphone based payments system is nothing new to Apple. It has been part of the rumor mill since before Google even started trying its Wallet app in its pilot programs. However, earlier this year, the company started to show more signs that it is taking the effort much more seriously and a report was drawn up that showed that the company has been “laying the groundwork” for this type of service.

In fact, for a while, it looked like it would be Bailey who would be spearheading the Apple mobile payments project. It also looked as though the company would be working in partnership with PayPal in order to provide these services. A report from Monday showed that talks with PayPal have been continuing until as recently as March. That company had previously been believed to be willing to work with Apple in order to establish significant parts of its fraud prevention infrastructure.

Apple may be inching into mobile payments arena with iPhone upgrades

While Apple has not made any firm announcement concerning its future involvement in mobile payments, the company may have a major impact on that sector in the coming months. Wells Fargo has raised its projected price range for Apple stock this week, citing news that the famed technology company will become more flexible in its relationship with carriers of its iPhone devices. New technology that is expected to be introduced with the iPhone 5S is also creating some buzz and this technology could help boost the adoption of the already popular mobile device.

Fingerprint sensors could boost mobile security

Apple is expected to include fingerprint sensing technology in its iPhone 5S, which is likely to be released later this year. This technology comes from AethenTec, which was acquired by Apple somewhat recently. The company specializes in security technologies and its fingerprint scanner could make next generation iPhones significantly more secure than their predecessors. This added security could create more confidence among consumers and boost adoption rates, especially among those interested in mobile payments.

Apple to be more flexible with iPhone sales restrictions

Apple is also expected to relax the restrictions it has on iPhone sales, which will allow its partners to exhibit more flexibility in the device market. This may help Apple compete more effectively against other companies, such as Samsung, when it comes to mobile technology. Better security features may help Apple’s partners market the iPhone 5S to corporate customers — a market that has been held firmly by BlackBerry for several years.

Mobile payments may be in Apple’s future

Apple has been slow to warm to the concept of mobile payments in the past. Security concerns had caused the company to distance itself from NFC technology, which forms the backbone of most mobile payments platforms. Apple has been looking for an alternative to NFC and some rumors suggest that the company is developing its own mobile payments system for future iterations of its smartphones and tablets.