Apple is Rolling Out Tap to Pay on iPhone in the UK

Retail merchants in the UK can now take advantage of Apple’s ‘Tap to Pay’ contactless payment method on iPhone and partner-enabled iOS apps.

Merchants across the UK now have the ability to support in-person contactless payments via Apple Pay. Regardless if they are big or small, this new Apple Pay feature is seamlessly integrated into the iPhone. The Tap to Pay function works with contactless credit and debit cards as well as other digital wallets.

No additional hardware is required. The Tap to Pay function is supported on iPhone and a partner-enabled iOS app.

In a press release, Apple confirms that Revolut and Tyl by NatWest are the first payment platforms to offer Tap to Pay on iPhone to their UK business customers. However, the company states Adyen, Dojo, myPOS, Stripe, SumUp, Viva Wallet, Worldline, and Zettle by PayPal are coming soon. Select Apple Store locations around the UK will also support Tap to Pay “in the coming weeks.”

With this, Apple emphasizes the importance of privacy and security. Tap to Pay does not infringe on the customer’s payment data. It utilizes the same technology that makes Apple Pay private and secure. Each transaction via Tap to Pay is encrypted and processed using the Secure Element. As with Apple Pay purchases, Apple cannot see data relative to what was purchased and who is buying it.

Tap to Pay is currently supported in the US, Taiwan, Australia, and now the UK. It’s unclear whether the contactless payment method will come to Canada. In the past, Canadians have had to wait for Apple’s payment tech to reach the market. Apple Pay is readily available in the country. Though, Apple Card, the Cupertino company’s credit card, has yet to cross the border.