Rumor: Apple looking to create person-to-person payment functionality with Apple Pay

Apple could be moving Apple Pay into the person-to-person payments market.

The current word on the ground is that Apple has spoken with J.P. Morgan Chase, Capital One, Wells Fargo, and U.S. Bancorp about the system. It’s not clear how far those talks have progressed, and many technical details remain unsettled.

Apple is thought to be considering multiple avenues for implementation, including a partnership with existing P2P transfer network clearXchange. That would allow for a speedier launch, as the bank-backed service is already live for most U.S. mobile banking customers.

The fees, of course, are apparently a sticking point in initial negotiations, although this is unlikely to be a problem this time around as Apple would not charge the banks for participation in this new endeavor.

If the new service does get off the ground, it’s unlikely to do so before 2016, and it would launch into a crowded market. PayPal’s Venmo is the most popular option, but numerous others — including Square Cash, whose parent company Square is preparing for an IPO — have been available in this space for years.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Via AppleInsider and The Wall Street Journal