Apple has today announced that a big new iPhone payment upgrade is coming to the UK. The feature, already available to US iPhone users, allows any merchant, small or large, to accept payments using nothing but an iPhone, accepting both Apple Pay and contactless cards using nothing but an iPhone.
It's a fantastic feature that means businesses don't have to fork out on fancy credit card machines or payment terminals, instead taking cash using nothing but an iPhone.
It's available for payment platforms and app makers to integrate into their own iOS apps, with Revolut and Tyl by natWest already supported. Adyen, Dojo, myPOS, Stripe, SumUp, Viva Wallet, Worldline, and Zettle by PayPal are all getting support in the near future, and it's also coming to Apple Stores in the UK over the coming weeks.
Tap to Pay on iPhone
You don't even need Apple's best iPhone to use the feature, as it's supported on iPhone XS as long as you're running iOS 16! When a customer goes to checkout, you simply offer your iPhone to a customer, who can then pay with a credit or debit card, their iPhone, or any other digital payment method just as if they were using a regular contactless terminal.
In an interesting tidbit, Apple says that Apple Pay is now accepted at more than 99% of UK retailers.
While Tap to Pay on iPhone is a welcome new feature for UK iPhone users, the island remains out in the cold when it comes to some of Apple's other major payment services, notably Apple Card. The company also unveiled Apple Pay Later back in March, allowing users to make purchases split into four payments over six weeks with no fees or interest rates. As with Apple Card, there's no sign of this making its way to UK shores anytime soon.
