The hoopla surrounding the launch of Apple Pay may have died down, but the hard work to make it a reality has been going on apace. And now the first two products to feature Apple Pay are up and running in the US.
Digital Retail Apps in the US has announced the availability of its SelfPay mobile shopper app with Apple Pay integration. Apple Pay integration allows merchants to accept Apple Pay in-store and in-app through SelfPay, without the need for any NFC-enabled physical payment hardware at the checkout to support it. With this integration, Apple Pay joins previous support for credit card, debit card and PayPal payments through the SelfPay app.
“SelfPay’s goal is to provide shoppers and merchants with a completely seamless and flexible shopping and paying experience,” said Wendy MacKinnon Keith, CEO and Founder. “Mobile payments save time and are very convenient, but the larger amount of time wasted in store is what comes before; waiting in line to pay. SelfPay and Apple Pay together are not just fast payments, they’re fast payments without the wait that comes before. That wait to pay is completely unnecessary in today’s world.”
Meanwhile, Optimal Payments, a global online payments provider, has become the first third party to launch an iOS software development kit (SDK) for Apple Pay, allowing developers, merchants, and partners to add Apple Pay In-App Purchase as an accepted payment option.
Unless you live under a rock you will know that Apple Pay provides a secure method to accept payments from customers through the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, and In-App Purchase payments are expected to represent the largest share of early Apple Pay transactions.
Thanks to the SDK, developers will be able to access all the tools they need, directly from the Optimal Payments Developer Centre. Merchants will have the added benefit of a single-source provider for all of their online payments solutions. Furthermore, Optimal Payments’ iOS SDK will support merchants and developers with a single point of integration for future regions as Apple Pay is rolled out globally. Apple Pay transactions will be processed seamlessly with other payment options, and data will be consolidated and reported through the NETBANX® back office.
“Mobile commerce continues to accelerate exponentially,” says Danny Chazonoff, chief operating officer, Optimal Payments. “Being able to offer Apple Pay supports our strategy of providing merchants and consumers with innovative payment options that reduce friction and provide an enhanced shopping experience, using the most secure payment technologies available.”
