Apple Pay is expanding to mobile websites

By

Apple Pay
Apple Pay is everywhere.
Photo: Apple

Using Apple Pay to buy items has been limited to physical retail stores and apps, but Apple is reportedly planning to rollout the service soon to mobile websites, putting it in closer competition with PayPal and other platforms.

The mobile website version of Apple Pay will allegedly be ready in time for the 2016 holiday shopping season. Once launched, the mobile version will allow shoppers to complete purchases using their fingerprint rather than entering credit card info on websites.

“The service will be available to shoppers using the Safari browser on models of iPhones and iPads that possess Apple’s TouchID fingerprint technology,” according to multiple sources that spoke to Recode.

Apple Pay for MacBooks and iMacs is also supposedly being considered. Touch ID hasn’t been integrated into MacBooks yet though, so it’s unclear whether a desktop version of Apple Pay will be available by the end of the year.

Apple’s mobile payment service launched in 2014 with the iPhone 6 and has seen a steady increase in usage among retailers. The company added new features with iOS 9 allowing the use of loyalty cards with the Wallet app while availability has expanded to the UK, Canada, Australia, and China.

WWDC 2016 could be the place Apple announces the new mobile web version of Apple Pay so developers can get a head start on integrating it into their services, however the report says the timing could change.

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.