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It would be enough to pass a bank card behind an iPhone to deposit money

Apple has established itself in recent years as a heavyweight in the field of payment and financial services, thanks of course to its credit card Apple Card but also and above all Apple Pay. The manufacturer could go a little further in this area.

It could soon be possible to pay money to a loved one by approaching a bank card to their smartphone. A system that would also make it possible to pay the invoice of a merchant or a craftsman in the same way, simply by placing a credit card under his iPhone! The professional will no longer even need a payment terminal.

The NFC at work

At least that’s the rumor Bloomberg, which often has very good sources. An upcoming update to iOS, the iPhone’s operating system, would incorporate technology developed by Mobeewave, a startup Apple bought in 2020 for $100 million. This technology had been tested on Samsung Galaxy smartphones, the transaction between the device and the bank card (but also another smartphone) taking place via NFC.

If Apple takes up the idea on its own, it will be a blow to professional payment platforms which, like Block (formerly Square), market payment boxes connected by wire or Bluetooth to a smartphone. These devices would therefore become obsolete since an iPhone would be enough to receive payment.

To avoid accusations of anticompetitive business practices, Apple could open up this technology to other services, such as Block’s. But when we see the very limited opening of the NFC of the iPhone to third parties, competitors may fear the worst with this future function.

The feature is rumored to be rolling out in iOS 15.4, the first beta (for developers) of which dropped this week. According to the first testers, it is not activated, but perhaps it will be in the next few weeks.

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