Apple Pays director, Eric Hoffman, has reportedly left the company according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, in his Power On Newsletter. Hoffman has been with Apple since 2014 and oversaw the introduction of the 'Tap to Pay' function within Apple Pay.
He is one of several executives that have left the Cupertino giant, making the number now nine as of 2023 so far.
Off in search of "new challenges"
Gurman says that Hoffman "led the business side of the tap-to-pay system, the Apple Wallet feature that allows consumers to purchase items from vendors by placing their card or phone near the business’s iPhone." He was officially the company director of Apple Pay business development, which saw him "overseeing partnerships with banks and other financial institutions for the Americas."
Tap to Pay is a useful feature that launched in 2022, and lets businesses use iPhones as payment takers – removing the need for separate payment devices that can be very expensive. You can also use it if your mate owes you $5 for that pint from last Friday. You can use any contactless card with the feature too – it's not just iPhone to iPhone. So no excuse, Dave – I don't care if you're iPhones dead, I need that $5.
The leaving has also come with some... interesting things retweeted on Hoffman's Twitter account. They suggest that Hoffman's leaving hasn't been completely amicable, with tweets like "The easiest people to take for granted will become the hardest ones to replace."
Evidently, Hoffman has found something to follow his place at Apple, although what that will be remains to be seen. Apple's Vice President of Internet Services, Jennifer Bailey remains on the team to run and oversee Apple Pay for now – although will likely want to find a replacement for Hoffman soon.
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