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Steady European Expansion
Starting today, Tap to Pay is available in the following countries: Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg, and Malta. This expansion increases the total to sixteen countries that support this service, following Japan in May 2024 and five other markets last fall. To recap, Tap to Pay enables two compatible iPhones to conduct a proximity transaction using contactless bank cards or digital wallets like Apple Pay.
The functionality of Tap to Pay on iPhone relies on the iPhone’s NFC chip, bolstered by the secure enclave: no banking data is stored or shared between devices. It also depends on local partnerships with payment platforms.
In this new batch of countries, seventeen providers are now compatible, including Stripe, Adyen, Worldline, as well as local players like Axepta and Viva in Belgium (supporting Bancontact) or Nexi and Surfboard Payments in Denmark (supporting Dankort). The service is compatible with major international credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover.
Designed for Small Businesses
Since 2022, the stance of Jennifer Bailey, Apple Pay’s Vice President, has remained consistent: Tap to Pay on iPhone will provide businesses with a secure, private, and effortless way to accept contactless payments
. Indeed, Apple focuses on accessibility and ease of use to appeal to independents, local merchants, or sole proprietors who do not have the means or the need for a traditional terminal like Square or Zettle.
In the United States, Apple has recently taken a significant step by integrating Tap to Pay into Intuit QuickBooks, one of the most widely used accounting software by SMEs. This partnership allows not only for in-person payment collection but also for these payments to be automatically recorded in a company’s accounting, greatly simplifying daily management. This approach could potentially be rolled out in other markets, depending on local developments.
A Slow Yet Strategic Adoption
Even though the rollout has been relatively slow, Tap to Pay on iPhone represents a clear strategy by Apple towards B2B services, while also enhancing the appeal of its hardware ecosystem.
The increasing prevalence of digital wallets and contactless payments in Europe creates a favorable environment for this technology, especially in countries where mobile micro-payments are becoming commonplace.
It remains to be seen whether this initiative will achieve a success similar to Apple Pay—which is already well-established—or if the fragmented payment sector will continue to hinder adoption in some markets.