Apple continues to expand its Tap to Pay technology in Europe. Now, users of said terminal in Astria, Czech Republic, Ireland, Romania and Sweden can access this service. This tool, launched for the first time in the United States, allows businesses to receive payments without having to have a device capable of collecting them, such as a dataphone. They can do it directly from the iPhone.
This technology was launched in the United States in 2022 and has gradually reached other regions, debuting in the United Kingdom and France in 2023, finally arriving in Japan in May 2024.
Tap to Pay expands to more countries
The operation of Tap to Pay is simple and very efficient. With this feature, business owners can accept contactless payments on your iPhoneswithout the need for external devices, such as dataphones or card readers. Customers only need to tap their credit or debit cards, or their iPhones or Apple Watches if paying through Apple Wallet, and the payment is completed immediately. This feature turns the iPhone into a powerful mobile point of sale, ideal for small businesses, fairs and events.
In terms of security, Apple guarantees that Tap to Pay uses the same level of encryption and privacy as Apple Pay. In the words of Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, this technology is “secure, private and easy to use,” giving businesses a digital and modern alternative to receive payments. Every transaction is encrypted and, as with Apple Pay, the company guarantees that neither Apple nor the merchants themselves can see the information of the cards being used.
For Tap to Pay to work, Apple has partnered with different payment platforms and banks in each country. In Austria, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Romania and Sweden, the system is enabled in conjunction with providers such as Adyen, SumUp and Viva.com, who support the function in all the mentioned countries. Stripe, another of the most used payment platforms, has also joined the rollout.
When will Tap to Pay arrive in Spain?
Thanks to these collaborations, the feature is compatible with most contactless credit and debit cards from providers such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. Thus, any customer who has a compatible card or device can use this function immediately.
Apple has not made an official announcement regarding the arrival of Tap to Pay in Spain, although, with the continued expansion of this service throughout Europe, experts in technology and digital payment systems anticipate that it could be available throughout 2025. Spain is an important market for Apple, and the high adoption of digital payment technologies in the country is a favorable indication for the implementation of this system very soon.
This breakthrough will not only transform the way businesses manage payments, but could also benefit the growing self-employed sector and small businesses, who will now have access to advanced point-of-sale technology directly from their iPhones.
