Apple Launches “Tap to Pay” on iPhone for Contactless Payments in Japan

Apple last week launched “Tap to Pay” on iPhone for contactless payments in Japan, giving merchants large and small an easy and secure way to accept contactless credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, and other digital wallets using just their iPhone. Tap to Pay on iPhone works seamlessly with a partner-integrated iOS app — no additional hardware or payment terminal is required.

Merchants can begin offering Tap to Pay on iPhone through a supporting iOS app, where customers can simply tap their contactless credit or debit card, iPhone, Apple Watch, or other digital wallet to the merchant’s iPhone to make secure purchases enabled by NFC technology.

Since Tap to Pay on iPhone is built on the industry-standard NFC protocol and integrated into payment platforms and iOS apps, businesses can easily deploy this seamless and secure contactless payment experience. GMO Financial Gate’s stera tap app, Recruit’s AirPay Touch app, and Square’s Square POS app are among the first payment platforms in Japan to offer Tap to Pay on iPhone to merchants. Additionally, Adyen will introduce the capability in the coming months, and it will be available for use in Apple Stores in Japan. Tap to Pay on iPhone works with contactless credit and debit cards from leading payment networks, including American Express, JCB, Mastercard, and Visa.

“With its unique blend of innovation and tradition, Japan has created an incredible environment for new experiences that tap into the very best that technology has to offer,” said Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet. “We are incredibly proud that businesses across Japan can now seamlessly offer contactless payments through Tap to Pay on iPhone. This enables them to provide an easy, secure, and modern payment experience for customers, regardless of whether they accept physical wallets or digital wallets.”

No additional hardware is required to accept contactless payments through Tap to Pay on iPhone, which makes it easy to deploy quickly at any location.

Privacy is paramount in the design and development of every Apple payment system, including Tap to Pay on iPhone. All Tap to Pay on iPhone transactions are encrypted and processed using the same security technology as Apple Pay. Like Apple Pay, Tap to Pay on iPhone doesn’t store any payment information. Purchase details are never shared with Apple.

Apple has been working closely with leading payment platforms and app developers to introduce Tap to Pay on iPhone to Japan. Tap to Pay on iPhone complements the robust suite of tools that payment platforms and app developers provide to merchants to run and grow their businesses.

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