Small Business News
Square Announces Early Access Program for Apple Tap to Pay Feature
Back in February, when Apple announced its Tap to Pay feature that would allow business owners to easily accept card and mobile payments on their iPhone, many immediately thought of Square’s long-used credit card readers. Now, the FinTech has announced that it will be partnering with Apple to bring Tap to Pay technology into Square’s Point of Sale app. While the compatibility will roll out to all customers later this year, Square unveiled an Early Access Program that will allow select sellers to test out the new technology.
With Tap to Pay, business owners will be able to accept credit, debit, and mobile wallet payments with NFC connectivity. Additionally, Square will integrate this technology into its app, allowing sellers to utilize the platform’s inventory services, custom product buttons, and more. According to Apple’s earlier press release, Stripe was the first payment network to introduce the feature to its customers. This includes Tap to Pay compatibility in the Shopify Point of Sale app.
Announcing the new integration, Square’s Head of Financial Services David Talach said in a statement, “Square’s purpose is rooted in economic empowerment, which is why we’ve always offered a free way for businesses to get started using our services. Bringing Tap to Pay on iPhone into the Square ecosystem ensures that new sellers will have another free option to get up and running, while providing businesses of any complexity with more flexibility to adapt their commerce experiences to evolving consumer preferences and changing industry trends.”
Meanwhile, Kona Ice Vacaville owner and member of Square’s early access program Teddy Rojas said of the feature, “Square and Apple are making it really convenient to make sure we never miss a sale. With Tap to Pay on iPhone, I can process contactless payments quickly, even on cellular service, and it provides a really straightforward experience so new staff can easily get up and running on taking payments on an iPhone.”
On the one hand, the impending launch of Apple’s Tap to Pay feature might seem like a threat to businesses like Square that have previously found success in turning mobile devices into card payment terminals. However, with the company building out its ecosystem well beyond that initial product, today, the addition of Tap to Pay seems mutually beneficial.
Furthermore, for small business owners who already use Square, this new ability gives them yet another option for accepting payments, which in turn can help increase conversions and sales. As we await the full launch of Tap to Pay in the Square Point of Sale app, those interested in learning more or joining that early access program can visit Square’s site.
