You’ve been hankering for Apple to incorporate a near-field communication payment system in its devices.
And it’s on its way.
Per The Mac Observer, Apple announced ApplePay, its mobile payment system, during its media Tuesday. The system requires the just announced iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, both of which include NFC support.
ApplePay and the iPhone 6 lineup rely on a new chip dubbed Secure Element to securely store credit card information, and that data isn’t shared with Apple at any time. Cards registered with iTunes account are automatically available, and users can take photos of other credit cards to add them to ApplePay, too.
The system relies on Touch ID to authorize payments, and payments can be suspended via the Find My iPhone function in the event your credit card number is stolen.
Credit cards are viewable via PassBook, starting with the card that is tied to the iTunes account the phone is using. Apple said it already has American Express, Visa, and MasterCard on board, along with many banks and 220,000 stores that already support contactless payments.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.