Apple will add crypto payments feature for merchants

TL; DR Breakdown

• Apple to add new Tap to Pay feature to its devices
• The feature will not support crypto payments
• The feature will be available by the end of the year

Over the years, crypto has continued to gain mainstream adoption and acceptance from everyone in the crypto sector and outside it. This has made the assets push for new use cases asides from being used for investments. Although some merchants now accept payments in crypto, others are dragging their feet in following the trend. To make the initiative better for Apple users, the company has announced that it will add a new feature to let merchants make payments from the phone.

The company would not allow crypto payments

The new feature will make Apple devices look like a makeshift POS merchant, according to the new update. The company also mentioned that it would use NFC technology to allow merchants to make contactless payments through their Apple devices. Apple also mentioned that the new feature would support payments in Apple Pay, other crypto wallets, and non-physical debit cards.

This means that Apple will allow users to use any of the cards produced by any of the crypto companies in the market. Although Stripe became the first company to use the new feature, it notes that it will support other platforms in the coming years. A previous partnership saw Coinbase team up with Google and Apple to provide payment support for users.

The new feature will be available before the end of the year

Considering the Coinbase card’s ability to convert crypto to fiat and make transactions, the new Apple feature will allow users to make transactions in crypto. The company also mentioned that users could not buy goods using digital assets, but they can convert them to match the dollar equivalent to purchase them.

The CEO of the company, Tim Cook, has shown an admiration towards the crypto sector, revealing that he holds an array of assets. However, he mentioned that the company was not rushing to accept digital assets for any of its services. Finalizing its statement, the company noted that the new feature could be rolled out on iPhone XS and other higher-ranged phones before the end of the year.