Mobile Payment

WSJ: Apple looking to push deeper into mobile payments

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 24, 2017

The Wall Street Journal is reporting tonight that Apple is looking to develop a new mobile payment service. The outlet says that SVP of Internet and Services Eddy Cue has met with other companies regarding Apple's plans to use its iOS devices to handle payments.

With hundreds of millions of active iTunes accounts, Apple has one of the largest credit card banks in existence. And pundits have been saying for years that the company could leverage its mega user base by coming up with some sort of mobile payment system...

AT&T and Incipio introduce new ‘Cashwrap’ NFC iPhone case

Cody Lee ∙ January 24, 2014

Incipio announced today the launch of its new Cashwrap Mobile Wallet Case for the iPhone 4, 4S, 5, and 5s. The case features NFC tech, and works with the Isis Mobile Wallet app that lets users pay with their smartphones at participating retailers.

The accessory-maker has teamed up with AT&T to bring the Cashwrap to the masses, and it will be available in the company's stores starting this month. The goal here is to get more iPhone owners using the carrier-backed Isis for mobile payments...

Google Wallet gets single sign-on, lets you add credit card via iDevice camera

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 4, 2013

Following a significant delay, the Internet giant Google finally released its free Wallet for iPhone app back in September 2013. But in bringing its troubled mobile payment service to Apple’s platform, Google left out some of the capabilities found in Wallet's Android counterpart, such as the ability to make in-store payments with the app (not surprising considering iPhones lack NFC). The company added a few new features via two recent updates and today the Wallet app has been refreshed with some new functionality.

For starters, you can now instantly sign on to Wallet if you use other iOS apps from Google. Google previously rolled out this rather useful feature to its popular iOS apps, allowing you to, say, just tap your Google Account already used in Chrome in order to log in to the Gmail iOS app.

Go past the fold for additional details...

Apple job post tips off next-gen payment platform

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 3, 2023

A punditry consensus has been forming for some time that Apple of California is planning on entering the mobile payment space with a service of its own. Conventional wisdom has it that such a product would tap into more than half a billion iTunes accounts with credit cards on file.

In between Apple's purchase of smart sensor maker AuthenTec and the company's iWallet shopping app patent, Apple has done little to indicate that a branded mobile payment solution is in the works, until today.

An Apple job listing now indicates in black and white that Apple's management is in the process of hiring experts who will "help build a next-generation payment platform" to help its retail "enter new markets"...

PayPal refreshed with iOS 7 design, bar code payments, Wallet improvements and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 4, 2013

PayPal has long had a nice albeit somewhat limited iPhone application available in the App Store. Back in September, they gave the software a much-needed redesign while expanding on feature set with useful new capability like the ability to pay at local shops, save offers and order ahead, to name a few.

Today, the team followed up with another feature-laden update. PayPal 5.2 for iPhone does away with skeuomorphism in favor for a much cleaner look that fits nicely into the overall iOS 7 aesthetics. More importantly, you are now free to withdraw cash, pay using QR codes and more...

Facebook testing out new mobile payments service

Cody Lee ∙ August 15, 2013

Facebook is testing a new payments product that would allow online shoppers to make purchases using their login info, according to a new report from AllThingsD. The move is reportedly an effort to simplify online checkout processes.

Citing sources, the site describes the service as one that allows shoppers who have provided Facebook with their credit card credentials to make purchases on partnering e-commerce sites without having to enter their billing information...

Square Register for iOS updated with payment tracking, Bluetooth printer support and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

Even if you're not a Square user, you should pay attention to what the company is doing in the mobile payment space. This is an area Apple has long been rumored to be getting into, expanding on its Passbook app, and if that happens, Square will be among its top competitors.

Having said that, Square updated its popular Register software today, bringing the app to version 3.2. The changes made in the update are fairly significant, and include the ability to track and record a number of various payments types, and [finally] Bluetooth printer support...

OpenTable testing meal payments via iPhone

Ed Sutherland ∙ August 2, 2013

While increasingly common to use your iPhone to reserve a seat at your favorite table, there has been that annoying task of paying the tab at the end of the meal. A leading player in online reservations, OpenTable, is testing a way to eat out and never touch your wallet.

According to reports, OpenTable - which also lets you reserve a table via Apple's Siri as well as a separate free app - has begun testing a feature allowing diners to pay for their meals with the iPhone. Perhaps most appetizing is the CEO's pledge that "no geeky stuff" is required...

Mobile payment service Isis to go nationwide this year with iPhone support

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Nearly three years after it was first announced, Isis is finally set to debut on the national stage. Bloomberg is reporting this morning that the carrier-backed mobile payment service will see a nationwide rollout this year.

For those unfamiliar with Isis, it's a joint venture between AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, looking to change the way consumers pay for things using NFC and other tech. And after 9 months in testing, it's ready for launch...

Square Wallet redesigned in a major update

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 19, 2018

Twitter founder Jack Dorsey's mobile payment startup Square has been gaining serious traction, slowly but steadily. Just recently, the company released a stylish Stand accessory which turns your iPad into a full-blown cash register.

Square has also updated its Register app with kitchen tickets and a bunch of new features for restaurants and today their universal Wallet iOS app has received a face-lift and gained several new capabilities in a major 3.0 update...

Payleven teams up with Apple to sell its Chip & PIN card reader

Cody Lee ∙ May 29, 2013

Look out Square and Paypal, Payleven has inked a major deal with Apple to sell its mobile payment solution. The Rocket Internet-backed startup is now selling its Chip & PIN at a number of the company's retail and online stores.

Payleven says it has been talking to Apple about a global distribution deal for several months now, and the two sides only recently reached an agreement. Apparently the company is as protective of its retail stores as it is its App Store...

Square’s stylish Stand accessory taps iPad to reinvent the cash register

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 29, 2016

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey's other startup, the payment service Square, today announced an interesting hardware dubbed the Square Stand. The all-white stylish accessory lets merchants run their business from an iPad and requires the Square Register iPad app to process payments. The Stand shouldn't be confused with the Business in a Box, Square's $299 (and up) bundle that incorporates an uglier iPad stand, cash drawer and an optional receipt printer...