Tap to Cash in iOS 18 Lets You Pay by Touching iPhones

[[AUT] Thomas]

This should indeed be an API... like the wallet... initiate transfer... then the phones check which common providers they share (e.g. PayPal, Apple Cash, N26,...) then offer the available ones to the user displaying which are instant transfers and which not, to make a choice with which one to pay. Upon selection, they exchange the account details to initiate the transfer to the receiver.

 

[StanleyOmar]

Of course available only in the US 😢 bring it to Europe as well!! I am sick of having to use my bank's app or PayPal just to transfer a few bucks 🙄

I don't think it's Apple's fault it's only available in the US. Every country/region has its own rules and market leaders to contend with. I don't see these things ever coming to Canada, for example, because the handful of players who dominate our local market fight tooth and nail to keep out any potential competition.

 

[neuropsychguy]

Didn't Apple make fun of Samsung for having to touch phones together to exchange information when Apple introduced Airdrop? Now we're having to touch phones together?

Do you have a source for your wondering claim?

 

[sw1tcher]

Among the slew of iOS 18 updates announced during Apple's WWDC 2024 keynote, the company revealed a new way of paying for things with Apple Cash, called Tap to Cash.

Should have called it Cash Tap instead of Tap to Cash.

Maybe they didn't because Cash Tap sounds too close to Cash App? 🤷‍♂️

 

[ebika]

What is the big advantage of Apple Cash? Aside from the fact that Apple both gets cash and extra infos about its users.

In Austria we have instant bank transfers, meaning we can transfer money in real-time across most banks, even on weekends, holidays etc. No extra costs mind you.

I'm wondering the same thing. I'm in the US, and we have many competing apps to transfer money via broker like Apple Cash. I guess Apple is trying to differentiate themselves based on their take on the user experience? I guess proximity handshake is cool. The competition uses QR codes, phone numbers, and emails. None really stand out to me.

We also have real-time bank transfers in the US called Zelle. Zelle is awesome but it has to be treated like cash since transfers are irrevocable and can't be disputed (practically). I like using Zelle. I wouldn't use it to prepay for things being sent to me though.

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

Apple Cash is still a US only feature for no reason. We have had fintech banks all over the world that offer very similar ways of transferring money. Why can’t we have Apple Cash?

Yep, and no doubt Tap to Cash will be limited to iPhone <-> iPhone transactions. Apple loves to hamstring its own devices in a lame attempt to pressure non-Apple users to swap to Apple. Admittedly, this strategy seems to work in the US with the green/blue bubbles thing, but the rest of the world looks on in bewilderment at such childishness.

 

[svish]

Great feature but would like to see this expand to other countries too.

 

[Dunkirk20]

This will be useful for Facebook Marketplace transactions.

 

[iGeek2019]

I’m not so bothered about Apple Card being released in the UK (would be nice but not holding my breath given the cap on Interchange Fees) but wouldn’t mind Apple working on bringing this to other countries if they can get financial institutions on board.

 

[Ad47uk]

Tim's Apple is hostile to users of other platforms, so while it could easily be cross platform you can bet it won't be and that means in practice that the number of people who will use this will be fairly small and basically limited to people in the US and a few other countries where iPhone market share is fairly high.

This has been the problem for years, In the 8-bit computer days, very few were compatible with another, even by the same manufacture. Even the so-called IBM compatibles use to have problems, and sometimes still do. I never expected anything different with smartphones.
I know a fair few people with Iphones, some people seem to think they are some sort of status symbol., but then there are some do the same with Android phones, certainly with the more expensive Samsung. Somone at work just got a Pixel, keeps going on about it. He say Iphones are riubbish and yet just been hooked into paying a stupid price for a phone that he knows very little about.

Me, a phone is a phone, as long as I can text, use the apps i use, make and recieve calls, after all that is the main function of a phone for me. Take some photos if need be and video, then it works for me.

 

[Ad47uk]

Of course available only in the US 😢 bring it to Europe as well!! I am sick of having to use my bank's app or PayPal just to transfer a few bucks 🙄

If you are in Europe you are not transferring Bucks and if you are then touching phones are going to do it. Don't use Bucks in Europe,
Getting too Americanised.
As for using my bank app or paypal, it is not that much of a problem to be honest

 

[brofkand]

This has been the problem for years, In the 8-bit computer days, very few were compatible with another, even by the same manufacture. Even the so-called IBM compatibles use to have problems, and sometimes still do. I never expected anything different with smartphones.
I know a fair few people with Iphones, some people seem to think they are some sort of status symbol., but then there are some do the same with Android phones, certainly with the more expensive Samsung. Somone at work just got a Pixel, keeps going on about it. He say Iphones are riubbish and yet just been hooked into paying a stupid price for a phone that he knows very little about.

Me, a phone is a phone, as long as I can text, use the apps i use, make and recieve calls, after all that is the main function of a phone for me. Take some photos if need be and video, then it works for me.

I would say that every day fewer and fewer people care about phone calls. I go days without talking on the phone personally. I do text message, use social media, etc., frequently however.