Merchants in Taiwan have become the first outside the USA to be able to accept in-store contactless payments on iPhones using Apple’s Tap to Pay software point of sale (sPOS) feature.

Apple’s Tap to Pay on iPhone developer’s page confirms that the feature has gone live in Taiwan with support from payment services providers CTBC Bank and TapPay and says support from Taipei Fubon Bank is “coming soon”.

The Tap to Pay on iPhone feature allows payment apps to “accept contactless payments from contactless credit or debit cards, Apple Pay, Apple Watch, and smartphones with other digital wallets — right on iPhone and without any extra terminals or hardware”, Apple explains.

Apple originally announced in February 2022 that it was planning to allow US merchants to accept contactless payments on their iPhone via a partner-enabled iOS app prior to testing the feature at the Apple Park Visitor Center in May the same year and launching it in the USA in July 2022.

Next: Visit the NFCW Expo to find new suppliers and solutions