Everything You Need to Know About Apples Tap to Pay

Apples Tap to Pay is a contactless payment feature that allows you to make payments with just a tap of your iPhone or Apple Watch.

With Apple Tap to Pay, you can make purchases in-store, online, or in-app, using your device's NFC chip.

The feature uses a secure tokenization process to protect your payment information.

You can use Apple Tap to Pay with participating merchants, who accept contactless payments.

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To get started with Apple's Tap to Pay, you'll need an iPhone 8 or later model, as well as an iOS 15.4 or later update. This technology allows you to use your iPhone to make contactless payments.

The Tap to Pay feature is available on the Wallet app, where you can add your credit or debit card information. You can then use your iPhone to make payments by tapping it to a payment terminal.

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To get started with Tap to Pay, you'll need an iPhone XS or later model. This is because Tap to Pay will only work on these devices.

You'll also need to use a payment platform that supports Tap to Pay, such as Stripe. Stripe is the first payment platform to offer this feature, and it's available through the Shopify Point of Sale app.

If you have an iPhone 6, iPhone 7, or iPhone 8, you won't be able to use Tap to Pay, no matter how new your device is. This is because these older models support NFC, but it's not the same as Tap to Pay.

Tap to Pay will work with all the latest iPhone models, making it a convenient option for businesses and individuals who want to accept contactless payments.

For another approach, see: Shop Pay Stripe

Tap to Pay will debut this spring when iOS 15.4 is released to the public. It's expected to only be available in the United States at launch.

The iPhone XS and later devices are compatible with Tap to Pay on iPhone.

You'll need an iPhone XS or later to use Tap to Pay, so if you're upgrading your phone, make sure to get one of these models.

Tap to Pay on iPhone requires a specific software version, iOS 15.4 or later, to be enabled for developers.

The feature is only available on the iPhone XS and later devices, including the two iPhone SE reboots.

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You can accept Apple Pay and other digital wallet payments using Tap to Pay on iPhone. This feature allows customers to hold their device over the top of your iPhone, over the contactless symbol.

To process an Apple Pay payment, launch the Payanywhere app, enter an amount or add items to the sale, and select Tap to Pay on iPhone from the available payment methods. Present your iPhone to the customer and have them hold their device over the top of your iPhone, over the contactless symbol.

The transaction is complete when you see the “done” checkmark.

You can read and issue loyalty cards with Tap to Pay on iPhone, making it easy to stay on top of your rewards and discounts. NFC-enabled loyalty cards, discount cards, and points cards in Apple Wallet can be read independently of or at the same time as payment cards.

Merchants can also send requests to join their loyalty program when you make a Tap to Pay on iPhone transaction, making it convenient to sign up for rewards.

Accepting payments with Apple's Tap to Pay is a breeze. You can accept all types of in-person, contactless payments, right on your iPhone, from physical debit and credit cards to Apple Pay and other digital wallets.

No extra terminals or hardware are needed, making it a convenient option for merchants. The process is easy, secure, and private, with Apple not storing card numbers on the device or on their servers.

You can also accept loyalty cards and passes from Apple Wallet, allowing customers to join your loyalty program with a push notification after a successful transaction. The Tap to Pay protocol is enabled for developers in iOS 15.4, and support for this software version is a pre-requisite for accepting contactless payments.

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Here are some payment types you can accept with Tap to Pay on iPhone:

Note that the iPhone XS and later devices are required to use Tap to Pay, and you'll need to be signed up for a third-party payment platform to use it.

Tap to Pay on iPhone supports transactions that require a PIN, thanks to iOS 16.0 and later.

This feature is enabled by payment service providers, allowing customers to enter their PIN using Apple's secure PIN entry interface after tapping their card.

To use PIN-based transactions, you'll need to check with your payment service provider to see if they support this feature in your payment application.

Tap to Pay on iPhone can prompt the customer to enter their PIN independently of payment, at the same time as payment, or instead of payment if the pass is available.

You can learn more about the ProximityReader API and/or your PSP's API for details on implementing this feature.

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With Tap to Pay on iPhone, you can accept all types of in-person, contactless payments.

You can accept physical debit and credit cards, as well as digital wallets like Apple Pay and others.

You can also accept NFC passes stored in a customer's Apple Wallet, which can be used as part of a merchant's loyalty program.

Tap to Pay on iPhone allows you to read passes independently of payment, at the same time as payment, or instead of payment if the pass is available.

Here's a breakdown of the payment types you can accept with Tap to Pay on iPhone:

To confirm the contactless card brands you can accept, ask your payment service provider for details.

You can accept contactless payments on your iPhone with Tap to Pay, which lets you process payments without extra terminals or hardware.

To accept payments with Tap to Pay, you'll need to work with a payment service provider (PSP) that supports Tap to Pay on iPhone in the regions where it's accepted. Request the Tap to Pay on iPhone Entitlement from Apple and integrate the ProximityReader API and/or your PSP's API in your app.

To support Tap to Pay on iPhone, follow these steps:

Your app can also read NFC passes in a customer's Wallet as part of a merchant's loyalty program, and prompt a customer to join a merchant's loyalty program after a successful transaction with a push notification.

Tap to Pay on iPhone requires iPhone XS or later, and it's a matter for developers to integrate the feature into their own iOS apps. The feature is only available on these devices, and not all iPhones with an NFC chip support Tap to Pay.

You can accept any form of contactless payment with Tap to Pay on iPhone, including Apple Pay on iPhone and Apple Watch, other digital wallet and payment services, and contactless debit and credit cards.

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