Tap to Pay on iPhone today launched in Italy, allowing individual sellers, major retailers, and small businesses to use the iPhone as a contactless payment terminal.
Retailers are able to take advantage of the NFC chip in the iPhone to accept credit and debit card payments, as well as Apple Pay and other digital payment options. Tap to Pay on iPhone does not require additional hardware and it replaces hardware-based payment systems such as the Square Reader.
Tap to Pay on iPhone is available to payment platforms and payment app developers in Italy. Adyen, myPOS, Nexi, Revolut, Stripe, SumUp, and Viva are all supporting Tap to Pay, and Fabrick, Numia, and Sella will also be adding Tap to Pay integration in the near future. Starting today, Tap to Pay on iPhone can be used in all Apple retail stores in Italy as well.
"Tap to Pay on iPhone has revolutionized the checkout experience in many types of businesses in Europe and other countries, and we are happy to partner with payment platforms to support merchants in Italy by offering them a simple, secure and private way to accept contactless payments via iPhone and a partner-enabled iOS app, without the need for additional devices," said Jennifer Bailey, Vice President of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet at Apple. "Over 4.3 million small and medium-sized companies in Italy have long played a key role in the country's economy and, together with payment platforms, developers and developers of apps and payment networks, we are making it easier than ever for Italian businesses of all sizes to accept contactless payments and continue to grow their business."
When a customer makes a purchase, a merchant that supports Tap to Pay on iPhone can accept payment by having the customer bring their credit card, debit card, prepaid card, iPhone, Apple Watch, or other digital wallet close to the merchant's iPhone. The transaction is completed through NFC, with processing done using the Secure Element for security purposes.
Tap to Pay on iPhone requires an iPhone XS or newer model, and a contactless card or device also needed. Contactless cards from American Express, Global Discover Network, Diners, Mastercard, and Visa will work.
Italy is the 11th country where Tap to Pay on iPhone is available. Apple previously rolled out the feature in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, Brazil, France, Taiwan, and Ukraine.
