Bank Systems & Technology is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

Payments

00:00 AM
Connect Directly
RSS
E-Mail
50%
50%

Apple iPhone 6: Mobile Payments Pioneer?

Apple's latest iPhone could help bring mobile payments to the mainstream.

The tech industry has made a number of attempts to ignite interest in mobile payments, and so far all have fizzled out. Sure, Google Wallet is still around, and Isis is available on a wide range of smartphones, but almost nobody uses them to pay for real goods in real stores. Apple, which might add such functionality to the iPhone 6, could change that.

The company has scheduled a media event for Sept. 9, when it is widely expected to debut two new iPhones and a smartwatch. The next-gen iPhone will differ from previous devices in many ways. Though many consumers may fixate at first on the larger screens (4.7 inches and 5.5 inches), others will be thrilled to learn the iPhone 6 adds NFC for the first time. NFC and mobile payments "will be one of the hallmark features of the device," according to Wired, which cited sources familiar with Apple's plans.

Not only will the device have the necessary components for mobile payments, but Apple is also well positioned to debut its own mobile wallet. As Wired points out, Apple has more than 800 million credit cards on file through iTunes. Further, it has invested in its Bluetooth-based iBeacon technology and has a massive user base eager to adopt new technology. Apple has patented ways for NFC and Bluetooth to communicate with a "secure element" -- needed to protect user identity and bank account data -- within the device, and Apple has held discussions with payment companies in recent months.

 

[Read the rest on InformationWeek]

Eric is a freelance writer for InformationWeek specializing in mobile technologies. View Full Bio

Register for Bank Systems & Technology Newsletters
Slideshows
Video
Bank Systems & Technology Radio
Archived Audio Interviews
Join Bank Systems & Technology Associate Editor Bryan Yurcan, and guests Karen Massey and Jerry Silva from IDC Financial Insights, for a conversation about the firm's 11th annual FinTech rankings.