Apple Launches Tap to Pay on iPhone in South Africa to Enable Contactless Payments for Merchants
With Tap to Pay on iPhone, merchants can accept contactless payments through a supporting iOS app on iPhone Xs or later running the latest iOS version.
Apple announced that Tap to Pay on iPhone is now available in South Africa, enabling merchants to use iPhone to seamlessly and securely accept in-person contactless payments. In collaboration with payment platforms, app developers, and payment networks, Tap to Pay on iPhone makes it easy for businesses of any size to accept payments from contactless credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, and other digital wallets using only their iPhone and a partner-enabled iOS app — no additional hardware or payment terminal required.
With Tap to Pay on iPhone, merchants can accept contactless payments through a supporting iOS app on iPhone Xs or later running the latest iOS version. At checkout, the merchant will simply prompt the customer to hold their contactless credit or debit card, iPhone, Apple Watch, or other digital wallet near the merchant’s iPhone, and the payment will be securely completed using NFC technology. No additional hardware is needed, so merchants can accept payments from wherever they do business.
Apple works closely with leading payment platforms and app developers across the payments and commerce industry to offer Tap to Pay on iPhone. Payment platforms and developers can integrate Tap to Pay on iPhone into their iOS apps, making it easy for merchants to enable this secure and convenient capability.
Starting today, iStore Pay and Yoco are the first payment platforms in South Africa to offer Tap to Pay on iPhone, empowering businesses of all sizes to offer Tap to Pay on iPhone at checkout.
Tap to Pay on iPhone supports Apple Pay and other digital wallets, as well as contactless credit and debit cards from leading payment networks, including Mastercard and Visa, with American Express coming soon.
Privacy is fundamental in the design and development across all of Apple’s payment features. With Tap to Pay on iPhone, customers’ payment data is protected by the same technology that makes Apple Pay private and secure. All transactions made using Tap to Pay on iPhone are encrypted and processed using the Secure Element, and Apple doesn’t know what is being purchased or who is buying it. Apple doesn’t store card numbers or transaction information on the device or on Apple servers, so merchants and customers can rest assured that their data stays theirs.
