Apple expands Tap To Pay into South Africa

Apple has introduced Tap to Pay on iPhone in South Africa, allowing businesses to accept secure contactless payments directly through an iPhone without requiring additional payment hardware or terminals

Developed in partnership with payment platforms, application developers and payment networks, the solution enables merchants to process in-person contactless transactions using a compatible iOS application. Customers can pay using contactless debit and credit cards, Apple Pay and other digital wallets.

The feature is supported on iPhone Xs models and newer devices operating on the latest iOS version. During checkout, customers simply place their contactless card, iPhone, Apple Watch or digital wallet near the merchant’s iPhone to complete the transaction through NFC technology.

The launch is designed to help businesses of different sizes streamline payment acceptance while improving mobility and operational flexibility by removing the need for separate point-of-sale hardware.

Apple has collaborated with major payment service providers and commerce technology developers to integrate Tap to Pay on iPhone into iOS applications, enabling merchants to activate the feature through supported payment platforms.

In South Africa, iStore Pay and Yoco are the first payment providers to support Tap to Pay on iPhone, giving merchants access to the service at launch.

The solution currently supports Apple Pay, contactless debit and credit cards, and other digital wallets linked to major payment networks, including Mastercard and Visa. Support for American Express is expected to be added in the future.

Apple stated that privacy and security remain central to the platform’s design. Transactions processed through Tap to Pay on iPhone are encrypted and handled through the Secure Element technology also used within Apple Pay. According to the company, Apple does not access purchase details, customer identities, card numbers or transaction information stored on devices or servers.