Apple Pay Launched Monday, Allows Mobile Payment With iPhone 6
By Edward Cardenas
SOUTHFIELD (CBS Detroit) - Owners of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus can start using the Apple Pay service today to turn their phones into mobile payment devices.
The new phones use a near-field communication (NFC) chip which allows the users to tap their iPhone on payment terminals - which also have the chip - and touch the fingerprint sensor to purchase items, according to CNET.
Both the devices and the terminals must have near-field communication (NFC) chips to conduct the transaction.
"Our team has worked incredibly hard to make Apple Pay private and secure, with the simplicity of a single touch of your finger," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, according to a release. "The reaction to Apple Pay has been amazing. We continue to add more Apple Pay ready banks, credit card companies and merchants, and think our users will love paying with Apple Pay."
More than 500 banks including Bank of America, Capital One Bank, Chase, Citi and Wells Fargo have signed up for Apple Pay, along with major credit card companies American Express, MasterCard and Visa.
Retail outlets including Apple stores, McDonald's, Toys R Us and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts accept Apple Pay.
According to Apple, Apple Pay protects user's personal information by not collecting any transaction information that can be tied back to a user and payment transactions are between the user, the merchant and the user's bank.
Additionally, Apple doesn't collect your purchase history but instead creates a unique Device Account Number which is stored in the Secure Element of the device. This information is not backed up to iCloud.
Users of the new iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 will be able to use Touch ID on their devices for Apple Pay within apps, according to Apple. Apps which accept Apple Pay include the Apple Store app, Groupon, Panera Bread, and Target.
"We are excited to make it easier and more convenient for our customers to shop at Whole Foods Market," said Walter Robb, co-CEO of Whole Foods Market, in a release. "We are thrilled to be one of the first retailers to accept Apple Pay across all of our locations nationwide as it offers our shoppers a fast, private and secure check out option at our stores."