Bloomberg says that Apple is working to introduce a wireless NFC payment system on its next iOS update.
Currently, iPhones are unable to accept NFC payments unless they use third party hardware, but this won’t be necessary once the new iOS version is made available to the public. Small businesses and even individuals will be able to accept payment on another person’s debit or credit card simply by tapping it on the iPhone.
The technology that will power this feature is most likely the NFC chip that’s already on current iPhones. The hardware-free payment option was Apple’s goal when it acquired Mobeewave for $100 million. Mobeewave said that it was working on an app that accepted NFC and the act of tapping the credit or debit card on the back of a mobile phone.
It’s believed that Apple will roll out the iPhone payment system in the upcoming 15.4 update, which is expected to launch spring this year.
