Tap to Pay on iPhone Launching at More Stores in U.S. Later This Year

[jaytv111]

And if a person is paying with "Tap To Pay By iPhone", you're using Apple Pay...which comes with its own protection & encryption

This works with all contactless payments (on credit and debit cards), it works with Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Garmin Pay, and contactless-enabled credit and debit cards. It’s not just for Apple Pay users, but Apple Pay is a prominent example of consumer usage of contactless payments.

You just tap your card or device to their iPhone (near the top of the phone, where the NFC antenna is) and you’re good to go. Well for a few seconds at least, takes a few seconds to exchange the data needed to complete the transaction.

Many cards in the US have finally been upgraded to contactless, 5 years ago very few cards had it, now practically all have contactless. One notable exception, the Apple Card itself: on the physical card they skip contactless, don’t know why but they really emphasize using your iPhone to pay so maybe they didn’t want you to tap your physical card and want you to think of using Apple Pay for contactless payments.

 

[paulovsouza]

All I ask is when you use Apple Pay, you get a digital receipt. We can keep track of orders, let’s eliminate paper receipts.

 

[Sevendaymelee]

This was great back when I had extreme germaphobia. lol Now, I just use a credit card or cash. Simple enough.

 

[Sevendaymelee]

All I ask is when you use Apple Pay, you get a digital receipt. We can keep track of orders, let’s eliminate paper receipts.

Should be an option, yes. But not mandatory.

 

[CK1Czar]

Plus, the LV stores here in Miami (most high end stores actually), have security that stands around and watches everything that's going on.

 

[svish]

Good to know. Want to see this feature rolled out in more countries

 

[Eorlas]

Obviously, the retailers listed (apart from Sephora) are luxury brands, so I'm sure they've assessed risks...but it seems like its just a way to improv the customer shopping experience.

pretty simple, they likely dont permit personal devices on the floor

seems like the UI is also based on the app used, which can likely be customized to have company branding, display information about the transaction such as what was scanned or input manually

 

[BSben]

There is a lot of panic and anxiety going on here, so here is something to calm the nerves a bit https://developer.apple.com/tap-to-pay/

 

[CapitalIdea]

What is the advantage of this? Cannot they just use regular POS? Is this an American thing?

Convenience for a concierge-style experience at a higher end store. You do not get that if you go stand in a line at the end waiting to pay.

 

[echopulse]

It is unlikely to be your problem, but in the eyes of the law (UK law, anyway) that item is stolen. It has not been stolen by you, but it has been stolen by the employee. Therefore it still belongs to the store and can be recovered as stolen goods and you are not entitled to a penny/cent if it is. You would then be left trying to get money back from the employee because, effectively, you would have been scammed and would not actually own what you have been "sold". In the case of a device like an iPhone it could be traced and blocked easily. That all said, for most goods the police/store/whoever would probably not bother and may not be able to trace you anyway, but I'm just making a legal point out of interest.

That's like saying if you hand an employee cash for an item and they put it in their pocket instead of the cash register, then the store would consider it stolen. That's not how it works.

 

[echopulse]

I wouldn't trust this. What if it is the employees PERSONAL phone you are tapping with and they just take off with your money, when you think you are paying the merchant/store? This will be great for farmer's markets, etc, but not for high end retailers. Geez.

I'm sure the employees in these stores will not be allowed to carry iphones in their pockets while working. Also, if an employee is attempting to collect a payment on their own phone, it would have a different name than the store they are in, because they will have to have a merchant account from a business they own.

 

[CausticSoda]

That's like saying if you hand an employee cash for an item and they put it in their pocket instead of the cash register, then the store would consider it stolen. That's not how it works.

That is a very good point actually. I suppose I am thinking of buying stolen goods where you pay in good faith, but if it was recovered it would be returned to the proper owner and you would lose out. I wonder though about high value items with a serial number... You pay the guy on his personal phone, you get the item, and nobody is any the wiser. A month later is a stock take. This items is missing and recorded with its serial number on the stolen goods register. A year later you try to sell it and it is identified as stolen. I'm just wondering how that would all work out.

 

[echopulse]

If that happens, and that's a big ask, because there would be safeguards in place to prevent it by the store owners, the customer would be expecting a receipt, espeiaclly for high vaue items, and if they didn't get one they would probably ask why they didn't get one.

 

[Coffee50]

That is a very good point actually. I suppose I am thinking of buying stolen goods where you pay in good faith, but if it was recovered it would be returned to the proper owner and you would lose out. I wonder though about high value items with a serial number... You pay the guy on his personal phone, you get the item, and nobody is any the wiser. A month later is a stock take. This items is missing and recorded with its serial number on the stolen goods register. A year later you try to sell it and it is identified as stolen. I'm just wondering how that would all work out.

There's still a merchant account though. I think many people are assuming if I tap someone else phone's, the money can easily just goes to that person's personal account & the consumer would have no idea.

This isn't going to be a wild west, employees stealing payments left & right all willy nilly. Is there a chance for scammer to attempt something...absolutely (this exist with every form of payment) Will the consumer & merchant be completely oblivious & without recourse...absolutely not. I think they'll be even more informed with the payment process.

From Apple's Site:
The screen shown to customers clearly indicates the amount being charged, the merchant’s name, the category icon.

If a store is implementing this (especially a high end store) it can be assured that there will be safeguards, verifications, etc. This has to be enabled by a retailer, so any devices accepting payments on BEHALF of that retailer will be configured as well. The store will be well aware of their daily transactions, even retailers like Target & Wal-Mart can monitor sales & numbers throughout the day (That's how they know they'll reach the sales goal). A high end retailer will certainly be aware..

If a person purchases a Louis Vuitton bag for thousands of dollars, Jane the associate isn't going to be able to simply accept that money on her personal account without the customer (or Louis Vuitton) knowing.

These are credit (or debit) card purchases. It will be just as easy after making a purchase, to go into your credit or banking account to see the recent transaction info & charge. You'll know who you paid.

People have been leaving credit cards inside those "check presenter folders" in restaurants without a second thought for ages, and the waiter walks away from the table with the credit card.

This is MUCH more secure than that.

 

[winterquilt]

I remember reading years back (before smartphones) that, either Nokia or Sony, the concept of connecting two unknown devices by "clinking" (physically tapping) them together like Champagne glasses was something that they were looking into.

I remember, I remember...

 

[jaytv111]

I remember reading years back (before smartphones) that, either Nokia or Sony, the concept of connecting two unknown devices by "clinking" (physically tapping) them together like Champagne glasses was something that they were looking into.

I remember, I remember...

That was NFC, which is this technology, yes it’s taken a while for NFC to really realize its potential.

Also Japan developed the tech for tap payments quite early, which is why the FeliCa standard made its way into Japan market iPhones.

 

[cardfan]

Must have been pre pandemic the last time I went to an Apple Store. Hard to believe they’re still a thing.

 

[_Spinn_]

Cool to see this rolling out to more places.

 

[Tagbert]

Must have been pre pandemic the last time I went to an Apple Store. Hard to believe they’re still a thing.

Still very much “a thing”.