WASHINGTON – Thanks to an upcoming update of its operating system, the iPhone could soon be used as a payment terminal for small transactions.
For a long time now, the iPhone has been used for much more than making phone calls, playing games and surfing the web and social networks.
Now it can also be used as a key for unlocking your hotel room door or to start up your car. Soon, it could add a new string to its bow, functioning as a payment terminal.
According to Bloomberg, Apple intends to add this new feature in a future update of
(15.4). This would be a logical next step after the acquisition, two years ago, of the startup Mobeewave, specialised in this technology.
The payment terminal functionality will also be made possible by the presence of an NFC chip in the iPhone.
However, many questions remain, starting with whether this new functionality will be directly integrated into Apple Pay or whether it will be the subject of a new specific application. It also remains to be seen whether payments will only be accepted from another iPhone or any other mobile device with an NFC chip.
In any case, the principle would be to enable users to process payments with their iPhone, without the intermediary of a dedicated terminal as is the case today.
This would mainly concern small payments between individuals or between customers and self-employed entrepreneurs (delivery persons, restaurant owners, hairdressers, etc.). As of this time, Bloomberg has not reported on any maximum amount.
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