Apple Interviews Industry Executives as Mobile Payments Plan Underway

Re/code reports sources tell them Apple’s mobile payments plan is moving forward as it has been interviewing industry executives to fill two new positions for its new ambitions:

Apple has been interviewing senior payments industry executives to push ahead on a plan to build an electronic payments business, according to two people familiar with the process.

The company has been meeting with potential applicants for two new positions at Apple focused exclusively on building a business around the hundreds of millions of credit cards it already has on file. Apple is seeking to fill head of product and head of business development positions, one of these people said.

Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s long-time e-commerce head, has met with candidates and is currently leading the initiative, according to these sources.

Once source was quoted as saying “their ambitions are very, very serious.” Apple has close to 600 million credits cards on file linked to iTunes Accounts, which the company looks to utilize in helping customers make payments within retail stores. 

As recent as one month ago Apple was said to have engaged in talks with PayPal again, say sources. Also, as rumoured earlier this morning Apple had also considered acquiring mobile payment company Square.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said during the company’s most recent earnings call “The mobile payments area in general is one that we’ve been intrigued with, and that was one of the thoughts behind the Touch ID. But we’re not limiting ourselves just to that.”

I always find it interesting juicy tidbits on Apple’s plans leak just before their quarterly earnings calls, with the next one coming this Wednesday, April 23 to share the numbers from Q2 2014.

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