Apple launched "Touch Payment" in the United States, turning the iPhone into a cash register terminal

Apple intends to promote a new way of contactless payment on the iPhone, where merchants can turn the iPhone into a cashier terminal, and through NFC technology, close non-direct contact can complete the payment.

On February 8, US time, Apple announced plans to launch "tap payment" Tap to Pay on the iPhone, and merchants using "tap payment" seamlessly and securely accept Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards and other digital wallets through simple iPhone tap - no additional hardware or payment terminals.

Apple said that once Tap to Pay is available on the iPhone, merchants will be able to unlock contactless payment receipts through the iOS-enabled iOS app on iPhone XS or later devices. At checkout, the merchant simply prompts the customer to pay with an iPhone or Apple Watch in their hand using Apple Pay, contactless credit or debit card, or another digital wallet near the merchant's iPhone, and then securely completes the payment using NFC technology.

Apple says Tap to Pay on iPhones will be available for payment platform and app developers to integrate into their iOS apps and offered as a payment option to their business customers. Stripe will be the first payment platform to offer Tap to Pay to its business customers on the iPhone, including this spring's Shopify point-of-sale app. Other payment platforms and apps will launch later this year.

In addition, because no additional hardware is required to accept contactless payments via Tap to Pay on the iPhone, businesses can accept payments wherever they do business.

Apple says more than 90 percent of U.S. retailers have embraced Apple Pay, and with this new feature, nearly every business, big or small, can get their customers to click pay on their iPhones at checkout.

Apple says that with Tap to Pay on iPhones, customers' payment data is protected by technology. All transactions made with Tap to Pay on an iPhone are encrypted and processed using security technology, and like Apple Pay, Apple doesn't know what it's buying or who's buying it.

The service is currently limited to the U.S. and will support credit cards such as Apple Pay, Visa, American Express, Mastercard, and Discover.