Apple has struck agreements with credit card companies to make the next iPhone capable of making payments at retail outlets, news reports said on Sunday.
Apple is >expected to announce the new version of the iPhone next month. It may also report agreements with Visa, MasterCard and American Express at the same time, Bloomberg news reported, quoting a person who asked not to be identified because talks between Apple and the credit card companies are private.
The payment system would turn the next version of the iPhone into a mobile wallet, Bloomberg said. It would make mobile payments easier by including a Near-field Communication (NFC) chip. That would combine with a fingerprint recognition reader that debuted on the most recent iPhone to allow consumers to securely pay with the touch of a finger when shopping at stores.
The technology website ‘re/code’ reported that Apple had reached an agreement with American Express to work together on its new iPhone payments system. The site quoted sources familiar with the talks.
Apple has scheduled a media event on September 9, leading to speculation that it will be the introduction of the new phone.
