Apple Pay Unveils Highly Anticipated Option for Websites
Apple Inc.’s mobile-payment tool Apple Pay will soon be working directly on websites.
This is a long-time coming as far as industry buffs are concerned. This move by Apple will put them shoulder-to-shoulder with services like PayPal, an online purchasing juggernaut.
As soon as fall hits, consumers using Apple’s Safari browser on their Apple devices can purchase items online simply by swiping their finger across an iPhone sensor, the same way they do it while shopping at brick-and-mortar locations.
Craig Federighi, a senior VP at Apple, stated on Monday in a presentation at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco all of Apple Pay’s intentions to bring online purchasing into the new age.
In addition, authentication can also be done using Apple Watch, a widely popular device for those constantly on the go.
This is essential to fighting fraud online and can also help Apple garner favor with e-commerce retailers.
“Apple Pay for the web is probably the biggest thing in e-commerce technology that I can remember, since e-commerce itself,” said Ajay Kapur, CEO of Moovweb, in an interview ahead of the announcement. “With a thumbprint, it will be as seamless as buying on Amazon.” His company is investing $10 million in building Apple Pay into its online software, he said.
This feature will only be available via Apple’s Safari browsers, and not for any installed search engine app.
“Apple Pay in browser limited to Safari is going to be a tough one to swallow for many,” said Ben Bajarin, an analyst at Creative Strategies, commented on Twitter.
“For PayPal, it’s pretty much a direct attack on their core business,” Entner said in an interview. “If Apple figures out a more convenient way of going through the authentication process, customers that have Apple Pay may pick that and not use PayPal.”