Merchants in the US will soon be able to accept contactless payments on their iPhone via a “partner-enabled iOS app” without needing to connect their device to a payment terminal or other additional hardware, Apple has announced.

Apple is making its Tap to Pay on iPhone software solution available to payments platforms and app developers to integrate into their iOS apps, enabling users to accept payments made with contactless credit and debit cards, Apple Pay and other digital wallets.

“Once Tap to Pay on iPhone becomes available, merchants will be able to unlock contactless payment acceptance through a supporting iOS app on an iPhone XS or later device,” Apple says.

“At checkout, the merchant will simply prompt the customer to hold their iPhone or Apple Watch to pay with Apple Pay, their contactless credit or debit card or other digital wallet near the merchant’s iPhone, and the payment will be securely completed using NFC technology.

“No additional hardware is needed to accept contactless payments through Tap to Pay on iPhone, so businesses can accept payments from wherever they do business.”

Payments platform Stripe will be the first to offer the service to business customers “this spring” with other platforms and apps to follow “later this year”.

“Tap to Pay on iPhone will be available to participating payment platforms and their app developer partners to leverage in their software developer kits (SDKs) in an upcoming iOS software beta,” Apple adds.

Reports that Apple was planning to launch contactless payments acceptance on iPhones first emerged in January.

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