Apple has officially launched its “Tap to Pay on iPhone” feature in Hong Kong today. This allows merchants to use their iPhones as secure payment terminals, accepting contactless credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, and other digital wallets without needing any additional hardware.
The magic of Tap to Pay lies in its simplicity and accessibility. Merchants can now accept Apple Pay, other digital wallets, and contactless credit and debit cards simply by asking the customer to tap their card or device against the merchant’s iPhone. This uses the NFC technology already built into the iPhone, making the checkout process smooth and completely wireless. For small business owners, this removes the barrier of renting or buying traditional Point-of-Sale (POS) hardware.
To get started, merchants need an iPhone 11 or later running the latest version of iOS and a supporting app from a payment platform. Starting today, major payment platforms including Adyen, Global Payments, KPay, and SoéPay are the first to enable this capability for their business clients in Hong Kong. This rollout covers a wide array of industries, including food and beverage, beauty, professional services, and retail, ensuring that the technology is widely available across the city immediately.
Transactions made via Tap to Pay on iPhone are encrypted and processed using the device’s Secure Element, the same chip that protects Apple Pay data. Apple has stated that it does not store transaction information or card numbers on the device or its servers, ensuring that both merchant and customer data remain private.
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