New Tap to Pay Feature Introduced on iPhone in Japan by Apple

Apple has introduced Tap to Pay on iPhone for businesses in Japan, enabling them to accept in-person contactless payments. This feature allows customers to make payments using NFC technology by simply tapping their contactless credit or debit cards, iPhone, Apple Watch, or other digital wallets on the merchant’s iPhone.

Several apps are now offering Tap to Pay on iPhone to businesses in Japan, including GMO Financial Gate’s stera tap app, Recruit Co., Ltd.’s AirPay Touch app, and Square’s Square POS app. Adyen will also add support for this feature in the coming months, and it will be available in Apple Stores in Japan. Tap to Pay on iPhone is compatible with contactless credit and debit cards from major payment networks like American Express, JCB, Mastercard, and Visa.

Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, expressed excitement about providing millions of businesses in Japan with Tap to Pay on iPhone, highlighting the country’s shift from cash to electronic payments. This feature allows almost all iPhones to function as payment terminals without the need for additional hardware, reducing costs for businesses and offering customers a simple, secure, and private contactless payment experience.

Businesses can access Tap to Pay on iPhone through software development kits (SDKs) offered by participating payment platforms and their app developer partners. For more information, interested parties can visit the Apple Developer website.

This new development is expected to streamline payment processes for businesses in Japan and enhance the overall payment experience for customers.