Apple has announced that Tap to Pay, the contactless payment feature that allows iPhone-to-iPhone purchases with no additional hardware required, has launched in the U.K.
Tap to Pay rolled out in the U.S. in the summer of 2022 and in Australia and Taiwan earlier in 2023. The feature means that merchants do not need to use a payment terminal for a transaction; they only need a supported iPhone and a payment-processing app that supports Tap to Pay.
How Tap to Pay works
A merchant only needs to have an app installed on their iPhone and an account with one of the Tap to Pay providers to be able to receive payments from customers. There is no need to use extra hardware.
Customers need only tap their Apple Watch, iPhone, contactless credit or debit card, or other digital wallet (on any device, such as an Android phone) to make a transaction.
Tap to Pay can also be used by a merchant to add a card to a customer’s file without taking a payment, and to look up previous payments made with that device so that refunds can be issued. It can also be used with loyalty cards.
What is needed for Tap to Pay?
As a merchant, the following are required:
- iPhone XS or newer.
- iOS 16.4 or newer.
- An account with a payment-processing app that supports Tap to Pay on iPhone.
- A 3G connection or better (hopefully this will be enough to get a connection in crowded U.K. locations).
- It’s unknown whether there will be a fee for merchants using supported apps. In the U.S. payment processor firm Square charges merchants fees.
What companies are offering Tap to Pay in the U.K.?
- Revolut
- Tyl, NatWest
- Adyen (coming soon)
- Dojo (coming soon)
- myPOS (coming soon)
- Stripe (coming soon)
- SumUp (coming soon)
- Viva Wallet (coming soon)
- Worldline (coming soon)
- Zettle by PayPal (coming soon)
How secure is Tap to Pay?
To protect the customer’s privacy, all transactions are encrypted by the Secure Element. This is a protected chip used in mobile devices for sensitive data and transactions. As with Apple Pay purchases, Apple states that it “doesn’t know what is being purchased or who is buying it.”
Author: Karen Haslam, Editor
Macworld editor since 2008, Karen has worked on both sides of the Apple divide, clocking up a number of years at Apple's PR agency prior to joining Macworld almost two decades ago.
Karen's career highlights include interviewing Apple's Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs’ legacy on the BBC. Her focus is Mac, but she lives and breathes Apple.